Aruiteku Together Forever
by FeistyDreams -CRYSTALOKAMINO
Summary: Alternative to Continuing On My Own - What if Amalgam had not made their move? SxK centered. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The first section I've copied directly from the b-t translation of Continuing on My Own. What has been copied is italicized. I apologize for the size of content that is not my own, I put this much in there for the benefit of those who have not had the fortune of reading COMO. The first 594 words are not my own. Sorry!!**

**Also, I want to take this moment to acknowledge that the b-t translations are no longer hosted by them, and that I certainly have intentions of buying the Tokyopop release of the book, whenever it comes out. Because I'm obsessed and must have it all, so rest assured, I will be supporting FMP with actual purchases.**

**EDIT: I have edited this first chapter so that what was my own doing matches the quality of the rest of my story. Nothing new plot-wise, just cleaned up.**

**DISCLAIMER: Full Metal Panic and everything within belongs to Shouji Gatou, Shikidouji, and whoever else has rights to it (which certainly isn't me~)**

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Aruiteku Together Forever (Walking Together Forever) - Chapter One  
**

_How long had it been before they could walk home side-by-side like this? In the beginning, Sousuke had kept his distance and it had felt like he was following behind her. Gradually- really, one day at a time, that distance had slowly narrowed, and before anyone knew it, it had become natural for them to walk next to each other. And when had it become so that their sleeves sometimes touched?_

_Suddenly, Sousuke opened his mouth and said, "Chidori."_

"_What is it now?"_

"_Let's hold hands."_

_Kaname doubted what she had just heard._

"_Huh… hands… what did you say?"_

"_I said let's hold hands."_

_What's he doing? I don't understand at all. Earlier he wouldn't say a word, and now this all of a sudden? Something's definitely strange. And-_

"_Do you not want to?"_

"_N… no, it's not that I don't want to…"_

"_Then it's okay."_

_Sousuke reached out with his right hand and softly took her left hand. Cautiously at first, then tightly. They had held hands many times before during emergencies, but never like this before._

"_uh…"_

_Her ears grew hot._

_Kaname felt awkward, and unthinkingly buried her face in her scarf._

"_I… I don't understand. Why all of the sudden…"_

"_I don't understand, either." Sousuke said, pulling Kaname's hand because of her stilted way of walking._

"_This is kinda strange…"_

"_Strange? I guess so. It is strange."_

_Neither of them said anything else after that._

_  
There was a small yakitori shop on the outskirts of the shopping district. As they passed by it, they could hear a song coming from inside. "Yagiri no Watashi." It wasn't the right mood, but for some reason it left a strong impression._

_It was like they were engulfed in a sense of security._

_His hand was large and warm. Yet at the same time, some kind of helpless feeling threw itself upon her. She didn't know why._

_The time after that passed before they knew it._

_The two of them left the shopping district, getting closer to the apartments where they lived. The two buildings were separated by the main road. It was the same old scenery, but somehow even that looked different to her._

_Normally, this is where they would break up and go to their own apartments, but- unlocking hands would be extremely lonely._

"_Umm… do you want to get something to eat?"_

_Even as she said it, she was surprised at herself. With this kind of atmosphere, wouldn't saying something like that be, well, dangerous?_

_Sousuke also seemed surprised._

"…_would that be okay?"_

"_Uh… well, yeah. A kind of… end of everything wrap party, for today."_

"_Wrap party?"_

"_Yeah. That kind of thing… is alright, I think."_

_Sousuke gave a little nod, and after tightening his grip on her hand, they walked in the direction of Kaname's apartment._

_They said nothing as they went up the elevator._

_Because something might happen._

_It was scary. But exciting._

_It felt as if her world had shrunk. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the palm of his hand gradually becoming sweatier._

_They walked down the common corridor._

_And arrived in front of her place._

_She floundered around with her keys so that she wouldn't have to let go of his hand._

"_S-sorry."_

"_It's okay. Maybe we should let go for a minute."_

"_Y-yeah."_

_She put the key in the hole and opened the door._

_They stepped into the entranceway. After slowly taking off their shoes, they once again joined hands, and getting close together, turned towards the living room._

"Uhm, so, Sousuke, what would you like to eat?" Kaname glanced up nervously, shuffling her feet in an anxious gesture.

"Anything is fine with me," his voice was rough, more than usual, he seemed to be swamped with emotion just as she was.

"I see… So, are you hungry now, or…?" she looked down at their joined hands, then glanced between the entranceway to the kitchen and her sofa, wondering which she should head towards.

"I could wait," he also glanced down at their hands, reluctant to let go. Her hand felt so wonderfully soft and warm in his. He never wanted to let go. Sousuke was hungry, really, but he did not care at the moment. He wanted to stay close to her, holding her hand, never letting her go.

"Oh, uhm, ok. Why… Why don't we watch some TV or something then?" While she didn't want to let go, she was also nervous of what might happen if things kept up this way. Would they kiss? It would be so wonderful if they did, she thought, so wonderful to finally have that kiss with Sousuke that Leonard had stolen from her. She really, really had wanted her first kiss to be with Sousuke.

Sousuke slowly pulled her towards the sofa, and tugged her down to sit beside him, snapping her out of her reverie. She blushed, wondering if perhaps she was being foolish, hoping for a kiss. This was _Sousuke _after all. Did he even know what a kiss was, other than the 'kiss of life' anyways? Even if he did kiss her, what would that mean for them? Would things get awkward? Would they stay the same? Would Sousuke change? Would she?

He rested their hands on his knee and stared at them, as if amazed. It was starting to sink in. The two of them, alone in her apartment, holding hands, sitting so close their thighs touched. It was too much. He blushed and turned his gaze back to her face to see her wearing a similar expression. Once again he found himself stunned by her, her sheer beauty doing him in.

"Sousuke…?"

"…Kaname."

Her eyes widened. He used her given name. The small blush she had spread further, turning her whole face scarlet. He leaned in closer, tilting so his chest was facing her now. The movement caused his right leg to move, pressing against her left more forcefully. She was suddenly very aware of him.

Sousuke's leg was hard against hers, his hand was beginning to feel clammy, and sweat ringed the collar of his shirt, which was probably too heavy for her heated apartment on top of the heated atmosphere between them. His handsome face would be almost childish if not for the hardened expression he usually wore tightening his features. His warm breath, coming harsher than normal, reached her sweat-lined throat, causing her to shiver and shift towards him. He was staring at her with the same intensity he always had, but it was all directed at her, and if she hadn't gotten to know him as well as she had, she might have been scared of the nearly unreadable emotion.

Sousuke was making similar notes about Kaname. The skin of her thighs looked so smooth and inviting, as did the gentle curve of her neck. He wanted to pull her close to him and feel her meld into his hardened body the way he knew she would from the times he had briefly held her close. He desperately wanted to feel it like this, in a non-combat situation, where he could just enjoy her softness. The blush looked so charming on her, with only the dim light from the entrance to illuminate her. Her shiver excited him, and he didn't know why, when ordinarily he would be concerned. His body seemed to take over his actions, leaving him no time for rational thought.

If it had, would he have stopped himself?

He couldn't answer that, and before he knew it, he had given into his desires and pulled her closer with his free arm. Still holding her hand tightly with the other, he kissed her. He had no idea what he was doing, his body was on auto-pilot, if he had to stop to think about what to do, he probably would have been unable to do anything. He was grateful for his instincts at the moment though. Kissing her quickly became the most amazing thing he had ever experienced in his life.

Kaname whimpered at the tidal wave of sensations. She had been so sure he would not be this bold. Sure, he had kissed Mizuki that one time, but it had been for the 'mission,' and he had confused it with CPR. This was different. This was because he wanted to, because she wanted to. This was for _them_ and no one else. Nothing else mattered, not school, not Mithril or Amalgam, nothing but each other. She whimpered again, kissing him back with fervor, thoroughly enjoying this.

He was _so_ good.

Not that she had any real experience, but with the way he pressed his rough lips against hers and the shocking feeling that coursed through her body – those were surely an indication. Kaname shivered again, shifting forward to get closer she lifted her leg and half-crawled into his lap. He moaned into her mouth and lowered himself backwards, pulling her with him, finally releasing her hand so he could rest both hands on her waist to guide her.

This truly was wonderful, for the both of them.

For how long had he wanted to do this? Sousuke could hardly remember. It had nearly happened back in the mountains of North Korea, he knew that now. He never would have even thought it because his body had been giving the orders back then too. If only he could have gotten her alone, it would have happened on her birthday, when he was going to tell her how he felt.

That reminded him…

Reluctantly, Sousuke pulled back, resting his hands on her cheeks to gently keep her from following him. Their breathing was ragged and faces flushed, they gazed at each other with half-lidded eyes. "Sousuke…?" she sounded so concerned. Did she do something wrong, she wondered? Why had he pulled away when things seemed to have been going _oh so well_?

He smiled gently at her and allowed his thumbs to trace her delicate cheekbones, hoping to reassure her and soothe her uncertainties away. "Kaname… I never did tell you. That time, when I got you alone after the _Pacific Chrysalis_, I lost my nerve, but now…," he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He opened them and stared at her, looking her in the eyes with even more of his trademark intensity than usual. "I love you."

There, he had said it. Now there could be no doubts. Any nervousness he had felt melted away when he saw _that_ smile on her face. There was no describing it, except to say that he had never felt her codename to be more appropriate than in this moment. She truly was an angel, with such a serene expression full of only the most positive of emotions, the dim light behind her lighting her hair like a soft halo.

"And I love you, Sagara Sousuke," her voice was tender and full of emotion, unlike his which had been hard and to the point. But that was his way, and she knew that. If it had been anything else, she may have doubted his sincerity. She leaned down and timidly kissed him. Unlike before, this kiss was soft and gentle, a simple desire for their emotions to be understood by each other further than their words could ever hope to describe.

Kaname smiled brightly at him, unable to contain her joy, and then tucked her head under his chin, letting him wrap his arms around her to hold her close. He enjoyed the feel of her weight on top of him, her breath sneaking under his shirt to tickle his chest, just having her so close and knowing she was enjoying it as much as he was. He smiled. It wasn't often – if ever that he could recall – that he was happy enough to smile like this. For a moment, a flash of emotion, he was getting accustomed to those times thanks to the girl in his arms. This feeling was far more lasting. It almost hurt his face to smile for so long.

His phone rang.

She pulled back and looked at him concerned, and he sighed, reaching into his pocket reluctantly. He glanced at the caller ID then flipped it open to hit the talk button. "Uruz-7. Mm. Ok. Got it. Understood. The field on route 10. 2200 hours. Yes sir." He ended the call, snapped it closed, and then put the phone back in his pocket. "I'm sorry, Kaname, I have to go."

"Mission?"

"Yes," he placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in for one more kiss. "We'll have to save dinner for another day. Does that sound all right?"

She smiled bravely and nodded, "Okay. When you get back, I'll make you all the curry rice you can eat."

"All right. It shouldn't be more than a couple of days, if I get the chance, I'll call you when I'm returning," he pulled her down for just one more kiss.

Kaname slid off of Sousuke and stood up, keeping her eyes on him as he did the same. They walked to the entranceway and once he had everything set to leave, they leaned in for one last kiss, desperate to make the most of this time they had together. He let his body do the talking once again and stepped forward until she hit the wall, where he pressed against her, fiercely kissing her. He dropped his school bag to wrap one arm around her waist and set his other hand to the back of her head, tilting her neck so he could deepen the kiss.

Boldly, he pressed his tongue against her lips, and she immediately parted them with a happy sigh. Ordinarily, he would be concerned with his lack of control. But feeling like this, experiencing this, knowing she was enjoying it as well, he could not find it in him to care. In fact, he gladly allowed his mind to shut down and to just simply _feel_. He had never given in to the demands of his body like this, but that was just one more thing he could attribute to this wonderful woman he held. She had taught him to feel. She had taught him to care. And now she had taught him that it was okay to just let go of everything.

She moaned happily into his mouth, savoring the feel of his body so close to hers, holding her so tightly. She never wanted this moment to end. But it had to. He slowly backed off, nipping her lower lip before completely retreating. "I'll be back soon." He was flushed and out of breath. It was adorable, seeing him like this, knowing she was the only one.

"When you return, use your key to let yourself in and say 'I'm home.'" Kaname blushed at her words, but held his gaze when she said them. She meant it. She wanted him to feel at home with her.

Sousuke looked at her with shock and amazement etched across his face. His features softened and he gave her the most genuine smile she had ever hoped to see him wear. He turned to open the door, "I'm leaving."

"Return home safely."

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**AN: Promise the rest of the story make suffering through this worth it. ^_~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Two**

After leaving Kaname's apartment, Sousuke ran across the street to his own. There, he took a quick – and cold – shower, changed into fatigues, and grabbed his always prepared rucksack. He had more time than usual to make it to the landing zone, but he had still left her apartment immediately anyways. If he had stayed, he did not know if he could have ever left.

It was a sobering thought.

He left his apartment, and slowly walked towards the established route, lost in thought. The day's events were certainly unexpected. Enjoyable, but still unexpected. He was unsure of how to proceed from this point. Something had happened back there, more than just their kisses, more than their confessions. Something in him had changed. Sousuke could not remember the last time he was so, well, carefree. Danger always lurked around the corner, you always had to be prepared, and yet he had pushed all those thoughts away and had just concentrated on Kaname.

That was risky. He sighed, a visible puff of breath in the cold air, and drew his jacket tighter around him. How was he supposed to protect her if she was all he could focus on? He needed to sort out his thoughts before returning or else he would just be putting her in more danger.

Sousuke shook his head.

There was no going back now, that much was for certain. He could not take back what was said back there, he could not ignore her words, and he did not want to. What he did need was to figure out how he was going to continue his job and not get both of them killed from distraction.

Sousuke arrived at the field, his face flushed and skin chapped from the cold, and the rush of wind from the chopper certainly did not make it feel any better. The sting was good though, he could concentrate on the pain and perhaps separating himself from his thoughts would allow him clearer perception.

The smell of ozone was strong and the air in front of him shimmered briefly as the ECS was temporarily disabled. With ease from long practice, he hopped in, greeted the pilot Santos, and buckled up, watching Tokyo grow smaller and smaller as they sped away.

* * *

Kaname locked the door behind Sousuke with a regretful sigh. He just stepped out the door and already she missed him. What she really wanted to do was rush out, hold him tight, and tell him never to leave, but she knew she could not ask that of him. That would be forcing him to make a decision between her and his comrades, and while she knew he loved her, she did not know which he would choose. He had certainly been abandoned in the battlefield with no reinforcements enough times to not wish that on his allies.

Honestly, that was one of the things she admired about him so much. Sousuke had been through so many hardships, been forced to face so many things no person should ever deal with, and he was still so kind and considerate. After being given nothing he would sacrifice everything for others. She loved that about him.

She pushed away from the door and padded softly through her apartment to the kitchen. It was getting late, and if she wanted any sleep she really should eat soon. With another sigh, she pulled some leftovers from the fridge and heated them up in the microwave, not in the mood to put any effort into dinner.

Her large apartment had never felt so lonely, not even the first night she spent alone after her father and sister returned to America. Kaname tugged on her bangs with a low growl of frustration.

This would not do.

She could not sit around her apartment, feeling sorry for herself while Sousuke was out there, putting his life on the line to keep others safe.

To keep _her_ safe.

She wringed her hands nervously as the microwave beeped. Not paying attention to much outside her thoughts, she yelped and dropped the hot plate, burning her hand. Muttering curses, Kaname turned on the cold water and placed her hand under it, blaming Sousuke under her breath. Catching herself, she blew air at her bangs and shook her head with a rueful grin.

"I should really stop that. He's not even here and I'm finding fault with him. How long will he really put up with me yelling at him needlessly?" She dried off her hands and, still holding the hand towel, moved her plate to the dining table and set it down. "Maybe I should do something for him. Get him something. I wonder if he's ever been given a gift before."

Chewing thoughtfully, she glanced around her kitchen, smiling softly as she thought of what she might get him. She did say to herself that she might pick out some clothes for him, back when she had cut his hair in October. And why shouldn't she now? There was no way she was going to let him get away with not taking her on dates now, and she'd rather he wear something more… civilian.

Finished eating, she looked at the time. Just after nine-thirty. Sousuke was probably on his way to the RV then. Hurriedly, she cleaned the dishes and threw on some boots to run across the street. Tugging the collar of her uniform jacket close as she waited for the elevator in the unheated hallway, she grinned at her folly.

_Look at me. One kiss and I'm standing in the freezing cold so I can find out what size clothes he wears so I can buy him some new ones. I must be mad._

Shivering as she waited, growling impatiently, the indicator lights slowly ticked down the floors. What in the hell was she thinking, running around in just her uniform? Finally, the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

She hopped in, hit the button for the fifth floor repeatedly, and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. She rubbed her legs together and scowled at her visible breath in the too cold air. Once on the right floor she ran down the hallway while fumbling with her keys. Inside Sousuke's apartment was only slightly warmer than the hallways.

_Figures. Living with the minimum in comfort. Idiot. He better appreciate this._

Spotting a rather warm looking coat hanging by the door, she yanked it off the hook and threw it on quick, drawing it shut. _Since I'm buying him clothes, the least he can do is let me borrow this jacket so I don't freeze on the operation._ She grinned to herself, shaking her head. Operation. She really had been spending too much time with him.

Kaname walked to Sousuke's bedroom and searched through his clothes, taking notes of what sizes he wore with the pen and notepad kept in her uniform skirt pocket. Done with that, she wrote a quick note so he wouldn't think someone broke in when he got back and saw a coat missing, then left, locking up behind her.

Thankfully, the elevator was still on his floor, so the return wasn't so long, and with the stolen, _borrowed_ she reminded herself, coat it wasn't so cold either. Once back in her apartment, she greeted the heat with gratitude. So what if she kept the place warmer than most found comfortable, she liked to wear shorts and tank-tops, not sweaters and pants, and there was also the issue of her low blood pressure.

After hanging up Sousuke's coat, she walked to her bedroom with a smile. Distracting herself with thoughts of what kind of clothes Sousuke might look good in, and be comfortable with, kept her from thinking of what kind of danger he could be in. Nightly routine finished, she slipped between the covers and fell asleep wondering if she should let Kyouko in on this.

* * *

Sousuke rifled through his bag and pulled out an MRE as the transport lifted further away from Japan. With a thought spared to his interrupted time with Kaname and the homemade dinner he missed out on, he unwrapped the food and bit into it. He had never really put much thought into what he ate before, but there was something comforting in sitting at the dining table watching Kaname as she prepared food for them.

He sighed wistfully as he ate his rations and thought of Kaname. For the past nine months he had been given a reason to make sure to return home safely. Since the incident in the mountains of North Korea he had placed more stock in the value of his own life. Now he found himself dreading his mission. He had never _feared_ for himself before. It wasn't for his sake that he felt this way. It was for her. He could not die on her, not when things were just being discovered between them.

The mission must be dangerous for him to be called out. He was only brought in if it looked like the Lambda Driver would be required, and had not been needed since the _Pacific Chrysalis_. He thought back to his conversation with Hayashimizu on the school roof.

"_I don't think you can carry on like this anymore."_

Those words were even more foreboding now. They truly could not carry on this way. How must she be feeling, sitting at home while he left to get shot at for a few days at a time? He found himself feeling even more nervous, leaving her behind like this. He made sure there was another person watching her when he was gone, but it was just a PRT member.

Primary Response just could not compare in skill to Special Response.

This, of course, was why he had been able to wrangle one of their ranks into it, and why he was only allowed to continue guarding her because he was too valuable to lose entirely. They just might anyways, despite their efforts to keep him. If this mission was too hard on him, if it was too hard on Kaname, if further trouble brewed at school, if their classmates started to catch on, if they started to alienate her…

There were too many 'ifs' he decided. He would talk to Kaname about it. She deserved to hear about his conversation with Hayashimizu, she deserved to know the possibilities, she deserved to make her own decisions regarding her life. He had not wanted to burden her with such dark thoughts, he wanted to keep her safe, happy, and comfortable with her friends. He did not want to subject her to the terrible pain and agony she would no doubt suffer if her friends suddenly turned on her.

He finished his MRE and shoved the wrapper into an unused pocket in his rucksack. He retrieved a bottle of mineral water before closing his bag, then sat back and took a long swig while thinking. How would he go about things if Kaname decided they should leave it all behind? There were various options available to them, he always made sure of that.

_We can think of that if it comes to it. Those plans are already in place, it's just a matter of options. I need to figure out added security measures if we decide to stay._

He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he had the leisure of thinking things through in a more hospitable setting. At that thought he grimaced and shook his head. He was getting soft from peaceful Japan. That truly would not do. He grinned and shook his head again. If anyone had told him a year ago that he would find himself considering any part of his life peaceful, that he might be more comfortable in a heated apartment than a transport chopper cabin, and that he would learn what love is…

Well, he probably would have shot them between the eyes to spare them a life lost in madness. He would have seen that as a favor, not an act of cruelty and murder as he admitted to himself now. It wasn't that he was a cruel or immoral person, he was just the by-product of his life's lessons. A madman would cause more friendly casualties than enemy, and he would have seen such seemingly outlandish statements as crazy-talk.

Sousuke reached up to scratch the back of his head with the hand holding the water bottle. He hadn't closed the top all the way and water dribbled down the back of his neck. He muttered to himself about such idiocy as he rubbed his neck and twisted the cap fiercely.

Any distractions during this short time he had to think were unwelcome.

_Back to the task at hand. I really need to stop letting my thoughts wander._

He tried to keep it simple. Increasing protection outside of the home was impossible without angering Kaname. That just meant no getting distracted by her while they were out. Easy enough, he figured, Japanese culture was not particularly fond of public displays of affection, and he doubted he would be prone to them regardless. He just hoped Kaname agreed, or he would have an angry girlfriend on his hands.

_Girlfriend…_

Shaking his head violently, he growled at himself for getting distracted, thinking back to their kisses. There were no cold showers to escape to this time.

In the home, he had to think of how to increase protection in the home, dammit, not _why_ he needed to increase the protection. Thankfully, the idea came to him swift enough. Noise traps. Kaname was unlikely to approve of tin cans, bells and the likes littering around her apartment at the windows and doors, but he would stand firm on the idea unless a better one arose.

He simply would not feel comfortable repeating that night's events if there were no other ways to notice if an enemy slipped past the security measures already in place. As good as he was, he did not want to put blind faith in his abilities against these new and entirely pleasurable sensations.

That got his mind going again, and with a solution to the problem, he lacked the will to push those thoughts away again. He thought to their kisses, that recent memory merging with the more distant one of a stolen peek of her body during that fateful haircut. From there, his thoughts wandered to a beach and a white bikini, further back still to almost a year to a balcony and towel. Unaccustomed to such thoughts, his underused imagination ran rampant without his consent or control.

One memory in particular caught and held, causing him to blush furiously at the images running through his mind. The club C&J, military costumes, Kaname dressed in an officer's skirt and jacket, barking orders at him.

The captain was right, he was more likely to follow Kaname's orders than those of his superiors.

Kaname in the officer's uniform…

He had no idea why that image affected him the way it did. He saw strong pretty women in uniform all the time.

But this was Kaname. On her, it was exciting. On her, it was new. And on a deeper level, it was like she accepted his world, which meant a lot to him. It was, after all, all that he had known before meeting her.

Lost in thought as he was, it took yanking his water bottle out of his hands and dumping the contents over his head for Santos to get his attention. "Head out of the gutter and suit up, Sergeant! You're meeting up with a turtle today, I've got to take a detour and Danaan can't surface right now. Enjoy your cold ocean bath, looks like you need it!" She laughed and went back to join her co-pilot.

No time to waste being embarrassed, he rushed to put on his wet suit and shove his rucksack into a waterproof bag. He hoped Eva wouldn't spread that story around. He was still struggling with the concept of having lustful thoughts that he really did not want to have to talk to anyone about it! He _especially_ hoped Kurz never heard of this!

Geared up, he held onto the bars by the open hatch and waited for the signal to jump. Freefalling, he cleared his mind, opened then released his parachute with a rhythm his body knew well from repeat performances. He waited in the cold water for the turtle system to meet up with him to guide him to the Tuatha de Danaan.

While waiting, and subsequently diving, he revisited one of his thoughts. That is, the one about talking to anyone about the things his imagination put forth. He was groping blindly when the idea of sex came up, and he did not want to rely completely on his baser instincts if he could help it. He was in no rush to get Kaname into bed, he was perfectly content with waiting until she brought the subject up, but who knew when that might be.

They had both let go of themselves, and if things naturally progressed quickly, he wanted to know what to do, so that he could do his best by her. He could only come up with two people that he felt comfortable broaching such a personal subject with. Kalinin, who was the closest thing Sousuke ever had to a father, and Big-Sis Mao.

He found himself making that distinction with her now. Big-Sis Mao was a woman he could go to for advice, and who would give it whether he asked or not, if she felt he needed to hear it. Second Lieutenant Mao was the woman he took orders from and trusted with his life on the battlefield.

Sousuke pushed all thoughts aside when he boarded the TDD-1. His bag was taken and he was ordered to Briefing Room Three without the chance to change or dry. Not the first time this happened, he strode swiftly and purposefully to the assigned room with just one thought left on his mind.

Things must be dire indeed.

* * *

"_Kweh! Kana-chan, wake up! Kweh! You'll be late!"_

_SLAM!_

Groaning, Kaname put her alarm clock back on the bedside table and rubbed her eyes. She had fallen asleep easily enough last night, it was staying asleep that was the problem. First it had been all the excitement from the night worming its way into her dreams. She woke up feeling uncomfortable and sticky, her damned subconscious making her need to wash up and change.

After cursing Sousuke, then feeling guilty for it, she had to battle her fears. Somehow she pushed them aside and fell asleep. When she woke up several times in a cold sweat she found herself wishing for the wet dreams to return. All of this lack of sleep made for a very grumpy Kaname, who drowsily made her way to the shower while contemplating skipping school.

She growled at her weakness. She was not one to lie down and accept defeat. Sousuke was out there doing his best for people who would never know his name or face. The least she could do was to continue living the life he kept her safe and free to live, and to find some way to make life outside of combat more comfortable for him.

She would go to school. She would take down notes diligently for him to review. She would go shopping for clothes for him. Not to mention the distraction would be welcome. If she was concentrating on class then she would have no time to worry about what he might be going through.

Right?

It was a Saturday, anyways. A half-day. That meant more time for shopping. She still had not decided whether she should bring Kyouko or not. Stepping out of the shower and drying off, she wondered if she should try to call Sousuke and ask him what he thought of others knowing about their new relationship.

She booted that idea quickly. First off, if she managed to get through at all, he would probably be in a combat situation. Kaname had finally gotten that story out of him –that he had been trying to outrun and outgun the mafia when she was on the phone.

"That _idiot_!" She moved too much with her anger and blew hot air on her face instead of her hair with the blow-dryer. "Again! I'll kill him! Why do I keep burning myself thinking about him?!" Her mood flip-flopped again and she treated her hair more delicately as she smiled and blushed.

That answer was simple. She loved him. He loved her. She could lose herself thinking about him for hours and feel just about every emotion with a name and even some without. That was the effect he had on her, and it would do her good to stop fighting that one indisputable fact.

Kaname got her thoughts back on track when she stepped into her room to dress. Secondly! No one controlled Chidori Kaname. If she wanted her best friend to know she was happy, then dammit, her best friend would know! Besides, Kyouko might be a gossip, but she hoarded that knowledge for herself. If she asked Kyouko to keep it a secret, then it would stay a secret.

The clock read six-fifty and Kaname was out the door and on her way to school. She decided to wear the coat she had taken from Sousuke's apartment. It might raise some questions, but she didn't care. It was a cold late January day, and she would be doing a lot of walking around after school.

Never mind that the coat smelled like gunpowder and oil, a distinctly unfeminine scent. That it smelled like Sousuke, making her feel warmer and safer against all logic.

Sitting on the train, she wrapped the coat tighter around herself and inhaled deeply, blanking out everything but the thought that it almost felt like Sousuke was there with her. It was a nice feeling and had a calming effect on her nerves. That the scent of gunpowder could make her feel calm was sign enough that her military maniac had managed to bury himself deep into her heart.

Kaname laughed suddenly, causing the few other passengers to look at her funny. The thought of Sousuke burying himself in her heart had her picturing him with that tactical knife of his, digging a trench in a Valentine heart-shaped island, and setting Claymore mines for any other men who might try to find their way in.

That thought had her giggling even more. Her love could certainly be compared to a minefield! Sousuke was the only one who had braved the danger, her temper, and just kept on going.

_The cutest girl you would never want to date! Hmmmph!_

Sousuke had suffered far worse than her infamous temper. Perhaps that was why he was the only one who could abide by her. She was prone to exploding at random, causing everyone except Sousuke to go running for cover. He would just weather out the storm, stand by her through it all, and calmly await the next without complaint.

"Next stop, Sengawa Station."

Kaname sighed and exited the train at the stop. As she approached the school gates, she saw Kyouko and called her over.

"Morning, Kana-chan! What's up?" She smiled cheerfully, pigtails bobbing with every motion.

_This is it girl, if you don't just say it you'll never get the courage to._ "Hey Kyouko," Kaname grabbed her friend's sleeve and tugged her to the side, away from all the student traffic. And eavesdroppers. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, but it has to stay secret, at least for now, okay?"

Kyouko nodded slowly, curious. Kaname didn't normally share secrets. At least not recently, not that really big secret she knew Kaname and Sousuke were hiding.

"Ah, well. Sousuke and I, hmm, how do I put this? We sort of became a couple last night," she fidgeted with her bag and looked at her feet, blushing fiercely.

Not _the_ secret, but Kyouko would take it. Grinning widely, she set herself to get all the info out of her friend. "What do you mean, 'sort of,' hmm Kana-chan?"

A flinch. Hah! "Well, er, we kissed," she turned even redder, if that was possible, "a lot. It just kind of happened. We didn't get the chance to really talk though. He got called out by his friends on one of those few day trips he takes."

"Oh? I would think staying with the girl he kissed should be more important than going out with his buddies. Where does he go on those trips, anyways?"

Another flinch. Not so good this time. "Ah hah! Hahahah! Who knows? I didn't want to make him choose between me and his friends, though, and he really wanted to go," some lies, some truth. Sousuke had taught her it was the most effective way to lie.

Kyouko shook her head, but didn't press it. Kaname would just block her out if she did. She was getting tired of the lies, of feeling like she belonged to a different world than her friend. Back to what she could work with. "Okay, girl, spill! What was it like?"

Kaname looked thoughtful, then blushed again. "Mm, well, actually… I was thinking of going clothes shopping for him today, after school. We don't really have any more time now, but, ah, if you come with me, I'll tell you all about it."

Laughing, Kyouko started walking to the building, reminded that they would be late if they didn't get moving. "No need to bribe me into going, Kana-chan! Giving Sousuke a make-over sounds fun! Maybe we should try the salon again when he gets back!" For some reason, that had Kaname blushing again. The girl was always tight-lipped about everything that happened in the days following that event, so she didn't push.

But she sure wanted to.

* * *

**AN: Not much to add, but if anyone who read this is a good artist I would love you forever if you would draw the imagined scene of Sousuke on a heart shaped island. XD I've tried, but I can't do it justice, though I'll probably upload my pathetic attempts later anyways.**

**As always, thanks for reading and please R&R, criticisms are more than welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Three**

Sousuke entered the briefing room dripping wet. There was the pause as everyone looked to see who walked in, and then the Lieutenant Commander picked up where he left off. Sousuke found his place between Kurz and Yan when the blond beckoned him over. Everyone seemed very solemn, more so than usual. Something had happened.

Mao leaned across Kurz to hand him an electronic clipboard with the details. He skimmed the information and his eyes widened. That was not good.

Captain Teletha Testerossa had been captured by the enemy.

They knew her location, thankfully, but in a way that could be a bad sign. Amalgam certainly had the resources and capabilities to squirrel her away somewhere, never to be seen again. It had to be a trap.

Most likely for him.

The Arbalest was the only defense against Amalgam, therefore it was their only threat. And Sousuke was the only one who could pilot the Arbalest. He was not looking forward to this mission at all. It would be hard, physically, mentally, and even emotionally. He hoped he would not spend too much time worrying about Kaname. That would get him killed the quickest.

The briefing ended and Kalinin called him forward. Once everyone else left, the older man went over Sousuke's specific mission. As he thought, he was bait. All his job was would be to lure the Venoms and survive until Tessa was secured.

Eyeing him critically, the Lieutenant Commander finished with business and asked a question. "Will you be all right, Sagara? You look concerned."

"I'll be fine, sir. Ah, but can I ask you a question, at risk of it being too personal, sir?" Sousuke looked nervous, gripping his files so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"You may," Kalinin was intrigued, and he even arched an eyebrow with curiosity.

Sousuke steeled himself, sucking in a deep breath, before asking: "How did you cope with being on a mission and leaving your wife behind? Did you worry that you would die and leave her alone?"

That was the last question Kalinin had ever expected from Sousuke. It took him a few moments to collect his thoughts and answer. "I worried, yes, but once I was in combat, I would push her out of my mind. Worrying about dying is a sure-fire way of assuring you do. Why this question so suddenly?"

Sousuke blushed and fidgeted, which was something he had never done in front of Kalinin before. "It's Kaname, sir. Right before I was called out I, ah, kissed her, sir. And told her I loved her. She said she loved me too. I-it won't be a problem, sir!" Once he started talking, he rambled on to the end quickly, and nervously.

Smiling softly, Kalinin placed his hand on Sousuke's shoulder. "It's all right, Sagara. If I were you, I wouldn't let this get to Mardukas, but as for me, I'm proud of you. It truly is about time that you have realized these feelings. As long as you perform the same as always on the field, you will have no problems."

The young soldier nodded gratefully. "Thank you, sir. I will keep your advice in mind and do my best on the mission."

"That is all anyone can ask. Go get some sleep, Sagara. You'll need to be well rested for this."

"Yes sir!" Sousuke turned and left the room for the barracks. He took a shower, changed, and crawled into bed.

He would need to be well rested, indeed.

* * *

School was finally out for the day. Even though it was a half-day, it seemed longer than yesterday. Kaname sighed gratefully when she switched shoes and put on Sousuke's coat. Kyouko stood next to her, bouncing excitedly.

"So where will we go? What kind of clothes are we getting him? You should pick out cologne you like, too! Maybe get him a nice dress watch!" She took out her small camera and snapped a shot of Kaname in the oversized coat looking exasperated.

"Cologne is a good idea. I don't know about the watch. I don't want to _change_ him, just make him look more like he belongs. Get him some cargo pants, knit sweaters, that kind of thing. I want him to be comfortable," Kaname fidgeted with her book bag. "I don't know where to go. I guess we can hit up the popular stores, see what they have."

Kyouko nodded with a big smile on her face. "Makes sense. Take him too much out of his element and he'll blow up more stuff than usual!"

Shaking her head, Kaname smiled softly. Her friend took another picture. "He's been getting better. The last major incident was in October. I mean, sure, he got a little weird about the cruise and at the student council election. But when was the last time he pulled a gun on someone?"

It was so unusual for her to defend Sousuke like this. Normally she would go on a tangent about him creating explosions and pulling his gun out in peaceful Japan. When they took their seats on the train, Kaname pulled the jacket tight and got a dreamy expression on her face, giving Kyouko another perfect picture.

"So, Kana-chan," she waited for the other girl to come out of her fantasy. "What was kissing Sousuke like? Did he try to give you CPR like Mizuki complained about?" She giggled at the memory.

Kaname shook her head. "No, no, not at all. It was amazing. I don't really know how to describe it except to say that we just… let go. We both just gave ourselves over to the moment. It was wonderful."

"And then his phone rang?" Kyouko asked wickedly.

She scowled. "And then his damn phone rang. Well, really, we were just sort of cuddling when they called, but still."

"Cuuuddling, Kana-chan?"

"Ah, it was right after we said we loved each other," she was a bright shade of red. Another picture was taken just as the doors opened to their stop. Kaname rushed out and Kyouko scrambled to follow her.

Not one to give up when things were going so well, the pigtailed girl continued. "Love, Kana-chan? Already?"

"Are you really surprised? I think Sousuke and I were the only ones blind to how we felt about each other."

Kyouko giggled and nodded. "That's true! You guys have been dancing around each other since the day he transferred! It was almost painful to watch."

"Hahah! Yeah, true. Now that I've admitted to him and myself how I feel about him, it's a lot easier to admit to myself that I've been drawn to him since we met. You know, he really is amazing," that last bit was said wistfully, and she drew the coat tight again, breathing in deeply.

"Okay, so! What happened after he got the call?" As fun as it was to watch Kaname daydream, she wanted details.

Shaken from her reverie again, she cleared her head and turned into a store. "Oh, that. We said good-bye, he apologized, I told him I would make him dinner when he got back. Then we kissed again, and I told him to let himself in and say 'I'm home' when he got back."

"You gave him a _key_?!"

Kaname jumped at the nearly shouted words and blushed once more. She had _not_ meant to admit that last part. "Ah, well, yeah, a while ago. When I realized he wouldn't take advantage of me, but that he also wouldn't hesitate to break my windows or door to get in if he thought I was in danger."

"What is with that, anyways? He always does all that crazy stuff to protect you. Did your dad hire him or something?"

Kaname shook her head. "If he did, he didn't tell me. I don't _think_ my dad would hide something like that from me. I think it's just the way he was brought up. He's so used to danger being everywhere, that protecting me from all this imagined danger is his way of showing he likes me."

Kyouko was quiet for awhile as they poked through the clothes. They picked out some outfits, purchased them, and moved on to the next store. It was probably the closest to the truth that Kaname would ever admit, she realized. "What kind of a past did he have, to make him the way he is?"

It was Kaname's turn to be quiet, thinking of how to answer that while sniffing different cologne. "I don't think it would be fair of me to talk about it. It was very hard for him to admit as much of his past as he has to me, because it was very hard and he was forced to do a lot of things he's not proud of in order to survive."

"What kind of things? It's not like he killed anyone, right?" Kyouko's joke backfired. The tight-lipped, hard eyed expression Kaname had as she paid for the chosen cologne said everything. Now she was at a loss of words, and the next couple of stores they visited were shopped in an awkward silence.

Finally they finished shopping, as Kaname had spent all of her saved money on Sousuke. Sitting on the train, she finally spoke up again. "Sousuke has had a very difficult life. He has known only war and strife for as far back as he can remember. He never had a chance to know his parents, he was orphaned so long ago, and it's all he knew. Since then, he has been forced into so many situations that no one should ever experience," Kaname's voice cracked and a few tears streamed down her cheeks.

"The fact that Sousuke is as kind and gentle as he is truly is a miracle. The fact that Sousuke is as innocent about some things as he is truly is a miracle. He could very easily be a monster after his life, and he would have people sympathize with his situation because of it. He is a truly remarkable man, coming out as well as he did."

No words seemed appropriate. Kyouko just reached over and squeezed her friend's hand as her stop was announced as being next. "Thank you, Kana-chan, for trusting me enough to talk about this. Call me if you want to hang out tomorrow, okay?"

"All right, Kyouko. If not, I'll see you Monday at school."

"Yep! Well, bye! Take care, Kana-chan!" Kyouko rushed out the train doors before they closed, giving Kaname something to smile about. Her cell phone rang, and the following conversation took all reasons for such away.

* * *

Sousuke woke up late, having slept until his body was completely rested, not rising with the sun as usual. When he looked at the time, his first thought was that Kaname would be getting out of school, bringing a smile to his face. He got up and did his morning routine, including exercises to wake his mind and body, and to keep him limber through the day.

Next was a shower, then a good sized lunch, since it would be his only meal until the mission was complete. After eating, he went to the hangar to review the condition and settings for the Arbalest with Ensign Nora Lemming. A few hours had passed and the Tuatha de Danaan surfaced.

Sousuke managed the time to make a phone call to Kaname, having everything ready when the call to scramble came before hand. He flipped open his phone and hit the speed dial for her cell phone, feeling slightly anxious about how this call would go.

"Hello?" Kaname's voice sounded over the receiver, making him smile in spite of his tension.

"Hello, Kaname."

"Sousuke! You done already?" The hope and excitement in her voice had him wincing. Reluctantly, he explained as much of the situation as he could. "That's ridiculous! Sousuke, you'll get killed!"

"I won't, Kaname. I promise you."

"Don't make a promise you don't know that you can keep!"

He took in a deep breath, looked around, and then continued quietly. "If it looks like I'll lose, I'll abandon my unit and self destruct it. That's in my parameters, since we're fairly certain the Arbalest's destruction is their goal."

"What if they try to kidnap you? Pilots that can work the Lambda Driver effectively without drugs are rare enough, and without intense training… I think you're the only one."

Sousuke's voice hardened, "If they somehow manage to capture me, they _will_ all die. I've been captured before, escape is certainly not impossible for me," he softened his voice before continuing. "Nothing will keep me from you, Kaname. Not even death, I _promise_."

Kaname sighed into the phone. "All right, Sousuke. I'll hold you to that. I would really hate to have to drag your sorry ass out of hell, understand?!"

He smiled at her vehemence. "If I should fail, I think I will feel sorrier for the devil having to face your wrath, than I will for myself."

"Damn straight."

The signal to scramble came, and Sousuke swore under his breath. "I have to go. I love you, Kaname. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you too, Sousuke. See you soon," she sounded sad, causing him to wince again as he reluctantly hung up.

He turned his phone off and pocketed it, not bothering to take the time to return to his locker. He ran up to the ARX-7 Arbalest and hopped into the Master Room, sliding in quickly and expertly. He secured himself inside and booted up the AI.

"Identification requested."

"It's me, Al. Close hatch, set the bilateral angle to three point five, stand by in Master Mode Six."

"Sergeant Sousuke Sagara confirmed. Closing hatch. BMSA three point five. Master Mode Six initiated. Are we retrieving Captain Testerossa again, Sergeant?"

"We're leaving that to the other team. Me and you are the distraction so they can get her out. Think you can handle an unknown number of Venom-types?"

"Can you?"

"As long as you support me, partner. How's the Lambda Driver looking?"

"It should function perfectly, Sergeant, all systems are green and you seem in good mental health today."

He asked his AI scornfully, "Are you saying I've been mentally ill, Al?"

"I am saying that you are not always mentally capable of operating the Lambda Driver. We have been over this before, Sergeant, but if my initial analysis of your mental well-being is incorrect and your memory is failing, I can load the conversations we have-"

"Never mind that, Al, and if you say I'm unstable one more time, I'll scrap you. Besides, what kind of a soldier in their right mind would put their faith in such an absurd and unreliable system?" These verbal sparring matches with his AI were actually fun, and Sousuke found himself grinning in spite of everything.

"I agree. But you have seen the system at work, believing should no longer be an issue."

"Affirmative. I'm going to put my faith in it today. We need to come back from this, partner, you got that?"

"Affirmative," sometimes, Sousuke wondered if Al used military speech just to make fun of him, since he usually refrained during their personal chats these days. "Is there something waiting for your return?"

"Someone, Al. Someone who will be very upset with me if I don't return. I did promise, after all."

"And you should never break a promise, Sergeant."

"Exactly. Open communication," Sousuke saw the indicator light of Uruz Two calling in flash. Soon, Mao's voice sounded in the cockpit.

"Ready to go, Sousuke?"

"Roger, ready anytime."

"Hey, look, this is a private line. You'd tell me if there was anything that would keep you from doing your best, right?" She had noticed he seemed more anxious than usual during the briefing, and had seen him on the phone before the mission officially started, which was very strange for him. Tessa was a very good friend of hers, and she only wanted people in top shape on this.

"It is not a problem. I talked with Kalinin earlier, and anything that may have distracted me is pushed out of my mind now," sometimes, he gave too much detail, and this was one of those times.

Mao felt the need to press on. "The Lieutenant Commander? What advice did you need from him?"

"It was something I knew he had experienced before and so I asked how he handled the situation. He gives good advice often, as well, so I felt it would be resolved going to him."

"I see. You go to him for advice a lot you said? Neither of you seem the type for that sort of thing."

"We have known each other for a very long time. He understands me and is the closest to a father I have ever known, I know he will do right by me."

"I didn't know that," she was surprised. She really knew very little about what kind of a life Sousuke had before Mithril, and she knew next to nothing about Kalinin at all.

"We don't talk about our pasts much," that was true for everyone in Mithril. They all had their scars that they didn't want to itch. "By the way, will you be available when this is over? I wanted to ask your advice on something."

"Can I ask what about? Look alive, you're up next."

"Roger. This line still private?"

"Yep," Mao was curious now, Sousuke had sounded a little edgy when he asked that. He paused, blushing and trying to gather his courage. "Well? We don't have much time, Sousuke!"

"Uhh, sex."

"Whaaat?! Ooh, you and Kaname getting cozy, huh?" She sounded excited, cackling over the line. A little tension breaker was good at this moment.

"Well, yes. We kissed. I'll tell you about it later, I, ah, don't want to get side-tracked at this time."

"I bet, if you're thinking about sex, hah! I'll make myself free, I wouldn't miss this talk for the world! Aww, our little Sousuke is growing up!"

Sousuke shook his head, clearing his mind as he stepped onto the catapult's shuttle block, flipping his comm. links to the control center open. Given the clear, he launched off the TDD-1, his mech's rocket pack powering him forward and up. He detached the pack and fell onwards, landing on the beach beside his team's M9s.

Second Lieutenant Melissa Mao, Uruz Two in her standard M9E Gernsback equipped with the extra jammers and communication devices, was in the lead, keeping their arrival off the radar. First Lieutenant Belfangan Clouzot, Uruz One, was in his black M9D Falke prototype, slinking through the shadows. Sergeant Kurz Weber, Uruz Six, climbed a cliff face with a sniper rifle attached to his M9's back. Above flew several attack choppers of the Teiwaz team as well as the transports from the Gebo team, including Gebo Nine Eva Santos.

They reached and secured their Drop Zone and the transports landed. Several SRT and PRT mixed teams streamed out and unloaded various military vehicles. One team included Corporal Yan Jan-Kyu, Uruz Nine, who could drive anything except for an Arm Slave with expert skill. The same team included Private First-Class Wu, Kano Twenty-Eight of the PRT, who often was paired with Yan.

In short, only the best of the best and the tried and true were trusted to this mission. The captain was, after all, a much loved and very important person.

Once unloaded, they rushed ahead, everything with ECS capabilities running the system in full, with Mao escorting the ground troops to keep them off the radar. Once they arrived at the enemy base, they spread out into their positions and the operation officially began.

* * *

Kaname trudged into her apartment, dragging her bags. She sighed and flipped the lights on, after dropping everything and taking off her shoes she shuffled over to her couch. There, she curled into a ball and burrowed her face into Sousuke's coat and stared blankly at the empty television screen.

"I hope he's all right," she muttered to herself. After hearing what his role was in the upcoming mission, she found herself unable to control her worrying any longer. She also felt an irrational resentment to Tessa, blaming the girl for getting captured as though she had done it on purpose, even though that made no sense.

It was too hot in the coat, but she wanted what little connection to Sousuke she could manage. "Dammit," she rolled off her couch and grabbed some clothes and her toiletries, then left her apartment for Sousuke's. She tried to convince herself she wasn't being pathetic or desperate. It was hard though, with her pride screaming at her to be more independent.

"This isn't about dependency, I'm just concerned. That's all. I just want to feel closer to him. There's nothing wrong with that," she kept repeating that to herself as she entered his apartment. She hung up his jacket, threw away the note she had left the previous night, and stumbled over to his bedroom.

Once there, she took off her uniform and bra to slip into an over sized shirt and sweatpants, both belonging to Sousuke. Then she curled up in his bed, which he hadn't had the chance to change the sheets on. Being surrounded by Sousuke's various gear, the smell of gunpowder and oil everywhere, made her feel slightly better. It was enough to keep her there, skipping dinner.

When she found herself drifting to sleep, she spared a moment to pray for Sousuke's safety to any deity that might listen. Kaname wanted him back, holding her in his strong arms and saying "It is not a problem."

She fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

**AN: Having Al call him Sousuke Sagara when earlier I have Kaname call him Sagara Sousuke is not an inconsistency, it is done on purpose. It is noted, but hard to convey, that Mithril operates entirely in English, switching the name to given-family is one of the ways I try to make that point. Just wanted it known that it was on purpose. ^_~**

**Also, I'm going to try to use the proper spelling of the runic symbols the call signs are taken from, not the official English spellings they used when taking FMP from Japan.**

**And a question for you readers: Do you prefer long or short chapters? My first chapter just felt too short to me, so I'm trying for longer, brought the count up to 4-5000 words, which still feels short to me, so I may increase it, depending on what you guys think. Inquiring minds want to know!  
**

**As always, let me know what you think, please!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Just a note, there's a rather crude conversation between Sousuke and Mao at the end, skip if you no likey.**

**Enjoy.**

**

* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Four**

"Disengage ECS, all ECCS sensors max-range, Master Mode Four, maximum power. We are to engage all Venom-types and keep our fighting away from the rest of the operation. Keep our comm.-links with our units open and listen for any trouble. Let's make a target of ourselves, Al."

"Roger, Sergeant. Master Mode Four, active. Military power, engaging. Comm.-links open, roger. ECCS sensors, all radar, full blip, roger. Military power engaged. ECS off. Five hostiles detected, designations Mike Eleven to Mike Sixteen, loading recommended assault pattern. Engage at will orders received."

Sousuke took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then moved the Arbalest forward. At first it was with slow, deliberate steps, and then a full speed run exceeding one hundred kilometers per hour. He pulled out his unit's combat knife and dug it into the first Venom's neck before it had a chance to start its Lambda Driver. "Entering combat," he muttered to himself.

"One down."

"I told you before, not to say it before me. Two down," he said just as he fired his shot cannon at a charging Venom, his Lambda Driver functioning perfectly, allowing the shell to pierce the invisible shield with ease.

Sousuke tuned out most of his comrades' communications, listening only for mention of 'Ansuz,' which was Tessa's call sign when off the ship, his own designations, or if someone had AS troubles, specifically with Venom-types. For now, he worked with Al's report, aiming to destroy all of the Venoms as swiftly as possible.

"Three down."

"Three down," they were in sync with each other again. Everything would be fine. Everything felt perfect. He was in his element, just him, his enemies, and the terrain.

Sousuke rushed to where the final two identified units waited for him and took them out quickly. He fired his head mounted chain gun at the first, shredding it, and then blasted the other with an invisible shot from his Lambda Driver.

"Five down. All identified enemies destroyed," Sousuke opened his mic and continued, "Uruz Seven to all, I'm finished here, anyone need help?"

"Uruz Two to Uruz Seven, provide support to our men holding our escape route, lead any AS units you encounter away. Good work."

"Roger Uruz Two, heading to the extraction route now," he flipped off the mic and shook his head to get the sweat out of his eyes.

"Battle time zero-five-two, Sergeant. We're doing well today."

Sousuke grinned and tapped one of the instrument panels with the back of his hand. Fifty-two seconds to down five Venoms, it was no wonder Mao had sounded surprised by his report. The mission had barely begun.

Before reaching his destination, three more Venom-types were located on his radar. "Detour, Al."

"Yes Sergeant. Time?"

"Let's make it thirty seconds."

"Impossible."

"Shut up, one down."

"One down," Al confirmed after a well-placed buckshot. Scant seconds later a second target was destroyed when the explosive anti-tank throwing knife entered its cockpit, shooting hydraulic fluid mixed with blood everywhere.

"Two down."

"Two down, zero-one-seven, Sergeant."

Sousuke powered his unit up a cliff as fast as he could manage and leapt off into the forest below as he fired his shot cannon at the last, unsuspecting unit. He could not understand why these units seemed so poor compared to usual. They weren't empty, the blood from the last enemy proved that much.

"Ansuz retrieved, secure our retreat, we're coming fast," that was Mao. Sousuke rushed to the extraction route to meet up with and guard the rescue squad.

"This has been going too easily, Al."

"Agreed, Sergeant. By the way, the last encounter was zero-three-three. I told you it was impossible."

"Shut up, I didn't ask for your opinion."

"I was under the impression you had when you called me 'partner.' Is it not the purpose of a partner to provide back up, assistance, and advice to their ridiculous counterpart?"

"You're the ridiculous one, talking about having impressions and intuition. Keep quiet."

"Would now be a bad time to alert you to an unidentified Arm Slave flanking us?"

Sousuke quickly shifted in the direction of the new enemy unit. "Al, transfer all battle data we've acquired up to this point and everything from this unit as we record. Just in case," he muttered the last under his breath. This AS must be the reason for the rest, they were just there to wear him out and make him use his ammunition. This would be the real fight, he could feel it.

"Roger, Sergeant. Transferring."

"Uruz Seven to all. I've encountered an unidentified enemy AS unit, currently unsure of strength. Contact me when I have permission to rendezvous, I'll hold him off until then. Engaging enemy now," with that out of the way, Sousuke lifted his shot cannon and fired. The Lambda Driver functioned perfectly, but for the first time in a long while, his bullet was shredded.

Sweating and starting to tire from the long day's work, he swore under his breath. He had been hoping things would continue as they had been and that he would avoid a serious confrontation, but his luck was out for the time being. He truly hoped this opponent had waited for him to tire because he wasn't good, not because he was smart.

Sousuke slowly retreated towards the RV, not wanting to get too close until he knew he could leave, but he wanted to be in sprinting range. He fired off a few more rounds of his shot cannon and watched them deteriorate. "Al, how's the Lambda Driver?"

"Functional."

"You're saying this guy is better than us?"

"It would appear so, Sergeant."

Growling with frustration, Sousuke emptied his Vulcan cannon at the enemy, hoping for even one stray bullet to get through. No such luck, he opened his channels again. "Uruz Seven to Uruz Two."

"Uruz Two, go ahead Sousuke."

"I'm having trouble, the enemy unit is more powerful than mine, everything is operating perfectly but I can't get a shot in edgewise," Sousuke panted into the mic, his voice strained as he was forced to dodge a sudden barrage from the enemy's arm mounted Gatling gun.

"Shit, try to hold out for five more minutes, we're nearing the RV, we'll load up soon."

Mao cut the communication, leaving Sousuke no choice. _Five minutes is a long time_, he thought as he tried to dodge behind his opponent. He looked around frantically, hoping for something he could use to immobilize his enemy. He was forced to roll out of the way when the AS shot at him, interrupting his search.

"Damn! Al, suggestions, weaknesses?" He found himself hoping for a lot of things, this time that his AI might have gathered some useful intelligence already.

"Negative."

_I wish Kaname were here to tell me how to destroy this thing…_ He grinned when he thought of her. She had taught him about the Lambda Driver, she had taught him how to destroy the Behemoth, and then she had taught him how not to hate the Arbalest. Well, that last part had been beaten into him, but with Kaname, beatings and teachings were the same, really.

Sousuke ejected the last anti-tank dagger into the Arbalest's hand and ran forward. Kaname would probably kill him when she heard about this stunt, but he would deal with it then. He charged his enemy and shouldered his unit into the other, tackling him and bringing the dagger down on the enemy's chest.

The air around him shimmered, the knife exploded before Sousuke could bring it down, taking the Arbalest's left arm with it before an invisible force shoved him back.

"Sousuke, we're ready for you!"

Shaking off the effects of the impact, he turned and ran for the rendezvous as fast as he could. The enemy unit was easily capable of keeping up and fired at him, blowing off the other arm despite his Lambda Driver shield activating. Losing balance, Sousuke directed Al to make the necessary operating adjustments so he wouldn't lose as much speed.

Approaching the clearing, he knew this wouldn't be pretty. They had prepared for a frenzied escape, and Sousuke leapt for the opened hatch of a transport. He twisted and fired his Lambda Driver at his enemy after dropping a Claymore landmine, his last show of defiance in the face of this powerful enemy. The Arbalest thudded against the back of the now rising transport, and the hatch doors were shut quickly.

Gratefully, he moved his unit around so it could be secured in the cabin. Before climbing out, he tapped the instrument panel again. "Good work, Al. Thank you."

"May I ask what you are thanking me for?"

"For functioning properly for once," he grinned and climbed out of the cockpit, amused by the fact that Al muttered something unpleasant at his retreat. He wearily walked to the passenger cabin, strapped himself in, and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Kaname woke up grumpy and hungry, though at least she had slept through the night. She pushed herself off of Sousuke's cot, it could hardly be called a bed, and shuffled her way to the kitchen. When she opened the fridge she was disgusted to see all it contained was bottled water, milk, and various fruit and vegetable juices.

_What does this idiot eat?!_

She growled and went through his cabinets only to find nothing but some packaged MRE, boxes of Calorie Mates, and one miraculous and out-of-place cereal box. Shaking her head, Kaname decided that Sousuke would be eating dinner with her every night henceforth, and that she would always cook enough to have leftovers to pack as his lunch the following day.

Unwilling to eat any of the food she had found, she decided to go grocery shopping. She used his shower and stole some more of his clothes. Luckily for her, despite his muscle Sousuke was a skinny guy, and she was able to use one of his belts to secure the pants around her waist. As she pulled one of his tank tops over her head, she could not help but smile at the fact that she had spent her previous day buying clothes so he would look less like a military nut and yet here she was, only feeling comfortable in his military clothes.

She had on jungle camouflage standard issue pants, a drab olive tank top, and Sousuke's brown quilted leather flight jacket she had taken a liking to. All of this was completed with her pink and white sneakers, but as fashionable as she fancied herself, she could not find it in her to care.

Kaname knew quite a few people were looking at her oddly, even more when she got to the market she always used and people that knew her saw. It didn't bother her that it was obvious she was wearing a man's clothes. She was worried about Sousuke, and she had come to terms with the fact that feeling close to him was the only way she could keep going with him gone.

When she finished shopping, she brought her groceries to be checked out. The cashier, recognizing her, grinned. "Does your boyfriend know you stole his clothes?" Usually Kaname denied Sousuke being her boyfriend, having been teased about him before since he had tagged along some of the times she went shopping.

"No, he's away right now, so I thought I would help myself to his clothes since they're warmer than mine," she smiled at the shocked look on the woman's face and took her bags after pocketing the change. It felt good to not have to deny having a boyfriend, even though she didn't know how he was doing. If all went well, he would be home soon, either tonight or the next, so she had to content herself with that.

In a better mood than when she had woken up, Kaname returned to her own apartment and made herself a small breakfast. She contemplated calling Kyouko, but decided not to go out, just in case Sousuke got home early. She looked at the bags she had left out the night before and shrugged to herself. Just because Sousuke would probably call it pointless didn't mean he didn't deserve to unwrap the clothes she had bought for him.

She opened a closet and pulled out a stack of boxes and non-descript wrapping paper, as well as some ribbons. Kaname smiled and hummed to herself as she wrapped up everything. She would have fun watching Sousuke open everything up, and she already resolved herself to barring him from using his knife. He would just have to tear into it with his hands, since she wouldn't have it any other way.

Once she finished, she stacked the boxes next to her couch and nodded with satisfaction. Sousuke had a lifetime of no presents to make up for, after all, so this would be the start of it. She smiled and worked on cleaning her apartment. Even though it was already clean, she wanted to make sure it was at its best when Sousuke came back, despite the fact that he probably wouldn't even notice. None of those things mattered to her, really, she could tell herself that she was doing it for him but it would keep her suitably distracted for a time, and that was all, really.

Midday came around and Kaname stopped her cleaning to make herself lunch. She looked around her kitchen as she ate, wishing Sousuke were sitting across the table from her. Sighing, she cleaned up her plate, and then set to work cleaning the kitchen. Everything would be completely spotless by the time she finished, working on it with such single minded intensity.

Sousuke could not return soon enough for her nerves, she decided.

* * *

Aboard the Tuatha de Danaan, Sousuke cleaned himself up, changed into his uniform, and went to his debriefing with Kalinin. All this took very little time, and he was fighting against his exhaustion so he could get everything done and return to Tokyo as soon as possible. Once out of Kalinin's office, he headed to the infirmary, where Tessa was likely to be at the moment. He knew she would be having a lot of visitors, assuming Lieutenant Goldberry allowed anyone to see her at all.

He arrived at the infirmary and knocked on the door. Goldberry poked her head out and nodded to him. "Good timing, Sergeant. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," with that, she waved him in and motioned to a screened off bed in the back of the room. He saluted and then went to the back.

Sousuke pulled the curtain back a little and poked his head in to see Tessa sitting up and fiddling with her hands in the bed. She looked completely fine, just a little worse for wear.

"Captain, how are you feeling?"

She looked up, startled, not noticing him before. "Mr. Sagara! It's so good to see you, come in! Sit down, no need to be so formal, I'm not on duty after all."

He managed a smile for her and took a seat on the chair beside the bed. He could smell cigarettes and knew Mao had to have been there, though there were no visible signs. She had probably just left, and knowing her, she had been smoking heavily until she had been able to see Tessa. "Of course, ah, Tessa."

"I'm doing all right, Mr. Sagara. Thank you for coming by. I'm just tired, really. My brother seems to have _some_ compassion left, and he ordered me left alone," she was fighting to sound cheerful, but he could hear the strain in her voice.

Sousuke fidgeted in his seat, and decided he would do the only thing he could think of to make her feel better. It seemed to work on Kaname, anyways. He sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. Tessa broke down and fisted his shirt, burrowing her face into his chest and crying. He just held her, unsure of what else to do, and decided to just let her do what she needed.

Nearly a quarter of an hour passed before she finally pulled away, rubbing at her face with her sleeve and smiling a far more genuine smile now. "Thank you so much, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"It is not a problem," he was, in fact, feeling edgy, but that didn't mean he had to admit to it. He was sure she could see it in his rigid body language, but she needed to hear that it was okay. He was learning that much, at least. "Are you feeling better now, Tessa?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Thank you so much, Mr. Sagara, I think that was just what I needed!"

Sousuke smiled with relief and then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ah, forgive me, I have to go finish my preparations before my flight. I had just wanted to see if you were well before I left."

Tessa looked a little disappointed, but she let it go all the same. At least he had been thinking of her. "Yes, of course. Thank you again, Mr. Sagara."

He stood up and awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder. He seemed to wrestle with his words for a few moments before speaking up. "It… is a little strange that you ask me to be less formal with you in these situations, and you refer to me the same as always. Ah, that is to say, when you want me to call you Tessa, you should just call me Sousuke. I think it will be less… odd, this way," he nodded to himself. Something like that should not be so strange or dangerous, he convinced himself.

She was stunned for a moment, and then brightened up instantly. "Yes! Thank you so much, Sousuke!"

Sousuke rushed out of the room after that, hoping he hadn't made a mistake. He knew how the captain felt about him, so he sincerely hoped she would not take that the wrong way. He did _like_ her, but as a person, as a friend, and as a commander. He didn't see her as anything more, not like he did Kaname. If anything, he could almost see Tessa as a sort of mother, with the way she fought to take care of everyone and had such faith in her crew, going far beyond the course of duty.

His next stop was Melissa's cabin, and he knocked on her door. He heard swearing and a thud before the door opened, revealing Mao in what she probably planned to sleep in, a cigarette dangling from her mouth and a beer in hand. A cloud of smoke had vented into the hall when she opened the door, and he was hard pressed not to cough. "What is it Sousuke?"

"Ah, I was wondering if you had time now, since I'll be leaving in a few hours."

She blinked in confusion for a moment, before remembering and waving him in. "Ah yes! Come in, let's talk about this, but first! Did you go see Tessa?"

He looked down at his tear stained shirt, then back up to Mao's face and nodded. "Affirmative. She seemed in better spirits when I left."

Her shoulders sagged with apparent relief and she put out her cigarette before opening a new can of beer. "That's great! Good boy! Ok, so. Spill the details, Sousuke!"

Sousuke sat down in one of her chairs while she put some clothes over her underwear, grateful that he was accustomed to seeing Mao half-naked so it hadn't been particularly distracting to him, at a time like this. He explained what had happened before he was called out, perhaps in too great of detail because of his nervousness, but Mao grinned through the whole thing.

"I don't _intend_ to take things quickly, but considering how we both seemed not in control of ourselves, I just… I'd like some advice, in case, well, _things_, happen," he gripped his knees tightly and stared at his feet, uncomfortable with the topic, but forcing himself through this anyways.

Mao reclined on her bed and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag and blowing out the smoke thoughtfully before speaking. "It's good that you admit you don't know what you're doing and are looking for advice. Most guys just think they're hot shit and can't screw up sex, first time or not, and the rest that know they don't have a clue are too embarrassed to seek help.

"First off, use protection. You _do_ know what condoms are _really_ for, now, don't you?" Sousuke blushed and nodded. Going to school had done that bit of educating for him, having to listen to the guy's shoot their mouths off about various sexual activities they likely had _not_ actually had. "Good boy. Make sure you have those on hand at all time, just in case. Keep one in your wallet or something.

"Second, it's going to feel fucking great for _you_, but remember that a girl's first time always hurts. Now, Kaname is an athletic girl, so it's possible that she broke her hymen naturally, or that she was born without one. Trust me, you'll know when you start if she has it or not. Regardless, be gentle, she's not going to be stretched out at all."

Sousuke held his head in his hands, his face bright red and his ears burning. Mao certainly spared no details, though he knew she wouldn't, which was _why_ he had gone to her. It was still embarrassing though, listening to this, trying to absorb it all _without_ his mind sinking into the gutter. She grinned at him and reached under her bunk to pull out a bottle of water. "Heads up," she called before tossing it to him. He barely caught it.

"Now, on the topic of stretching," Sousuke sputtered, the mouthful of water he had just taken spraying all over his chest as he coughed. Unable to help herself Mao laughed at him before moving on. "You need to make sure you do that. Fingers work wonderfully. Make sure they're wet and that your fingernails are trimmed though. You don't want to be shoving something dry up there or shredding her insides anymore than will happen naturally."

He stared at her in shock, still red, and shook his head slowly. This was far more complicated than he had assumed. He wasn't sure whether or not to be grateful he was putting himself through this or not. Kaname had better appreciate it when the time came, anyways, that was for certain.

"On the topic of condoms, either get the lubricated kind or buy a water-based lubricant to go with them. As I said, putting anything dry up there is strictly forbidden. You want to try to make it as painless as possible for her," she emptied her can of beer and sat in silent contemplation for a few agonizingly long moments. "Try to make sure she's already gotten off at least once before you go for it, her body will naturally lubricate itself, which will help.

"You can do that with your fingers, or your mouth if you're so inclined," now Sousuke choked on his water, and she got up and pounded his back with a good-natured laugh. His innocence on this topic was endearing, considering he could soak himself in the blood of his enemies without a care in the world. "I'm being completely serious, you know that, right Sousuke?"

He nodded and looked over at her. "I know, and that's why I went to you. It's still, ah, shocking, though," she laughed again and nodded, downing another can of beer in one long gulp before continuing.

Mao wiped her mouth and spoke up again, "Try to make it as enjoyable for her before, at least. Take your time, keep her relaxed, maybe give her a massage. Make it good, because I guarantee you'll enjoy the actual act far more than she will the first time," she counted her fingers, mouthing each item as she did so. "I think I've covered everything you need to know now. Any questions?"

Sousuke sat thoughtfully for a few moments and shook his head. "None. I suppose the rest I learn as I go?"

Mao nodded and grinned, raising her new can in a mock cheer, "You got it Sergeant. Each girl is different, so have fun, and don't do anything she doesn't give you permission for."

He looked offended at the implication that he might do something against her will, but had the grace to nod in acceptance of the advice. "Thank you, Mao. You were very, ah, informative."

She laughed again and waved him out the door, removing her shirt as he walked out. "Have fun, Sousuke!"

Sousuke sighed, shaking his head when Mao called after him, grateful the hall was empty. He glanced at his watch and made his way to grab his bag and head out to the hangar. The submarine would surface soon, and he would be taken to Tokyo.

In just a few hours, he would see Kaname again. It had seemed like forever.

* * *

**AN: That's it for everything I had written from the holiday, I had to add to this chapter to finish it for today. Phew. Three chapters posted in one day, it's a miracle.**

**I hope the battle wasn't too terrible. I don't have a lot of experience writing battles, though I do find it fun. I used my husband as my check on military terminology, as well as the FMP books, so hopefully I didn't screw that up too badly.**

**Yes, that unknown enemy AS **_**is**_** supposed to be the Belial. Unfortunately, I don't much know how it performs outside of what you see in COMO, so any glaring mistakes I'd be more than happy to fix.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Five**

Kaname lay curled up on the couch, napping. She had spent her day cleaning every little thing in the apartment, exhausting herself, and combined with the bad sleep she had gotten the past two nights, she fell asleep the moment she laid down. Her face was burrowed deeply in the tank top she still wore, and she snored quietly.

Sousuke stood over her, looking down with a soft expression of concern. He knelt beside the couch and pressed his wrist to her forehead to check for a temperature, then timidly combed his fingers through her bangs. The fact that she was wearing his clothes did not escape his notice, and he was unsure of what he felt at that. Certainly she looked adorable in the oversized garments, but for what reason was she wearing them in the first place, and what kind of danger might she have been in that drove her to his apartment in the first place?

He sighed quietly and picked her up in his arms, carrying her to her room where he could rest her on the bed. After tucking her in, he sat on the covers beside her. He stroked her head, enjoying the feel of her cool silky hair against his calloused skin. Sousuke had slept through his plane rides, awakening only for the change over at Hachijojima and again when he had landed in Tokyo.

Since Kaname was sleeping soundly, he decided to run his security checks. He had wanted to see her first, and so he had gone straight to her apartment, letting himself in as he had been told. Careful not to wake her, he slid off of the bed and poked around her apartment. None of his security systems had been tampered with or breached, but her place seemed even more clean than usual. He hoped nothing had happened to her that she felt the need to cover up like this.

Sousuke left her apartment, locking up, and then went to his own. None of his weapons or communication devices had been touched since he left, but his bed had been slept in. It was easy enough to tell by whom, when he saw the long blue strands of hair left on his pillow. He smiled in spite of his concerns, the thought of Kaname sleeping in his bed stirring something within him.

Once he was satisfied with the state of everything, he returned to Kaname's apartment. When he let himself in, he could hear the shower running. It seemed she had woken up. He knocked on the bathroom door and heard her squeak in surprise and drop something. Sousuke grinned at the reaction and called in, "It's me, Kaname."

"Sousuke! Hold on, don't go anywhere, I'll be right out!" Inside the bathroom, Kaname smiled as she scrubbed herself roughly, anxious to get out and check on him. She also felt relieved, assuming it must have been Sousuke that put her in bed. Knowing him, he decided to get some work done while she was asleep instead of waking her up.

Sousuke shifted his weight and considered her words. Had she meant not to leave the apartment or not to move from his spot by the door? With Kaname, you could never be sure, so he decided to take her words more literally and stayed in his position, patiently waiting for her to finish her shower. A few minutes later Kaname opened the door violently and threw herself at him, making him grateful he had decided not to move. She wore her own clothes now, her blue and white striped pajamas, and her hair was very damp since she decided to forego blow-drying it.

He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands down her back and through her hair while he nuzzled the top of her head and breathed in her freshly clean scent. They stood like that for a few moments before Sousuke could hold his fears at bay no longer. "Is everything all right, Kaname? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Kaname shook her head and pulled back with a bright smile. "No, nothing happened, I was just worried about you. It's good to have you back, Sousuke!"

He looked down at her with concern before returning her smile. He decided to hold off on the talk he wanted to have with her, not wanting her to lose that good mood she was in just yet. "I see. Well, that's good then. As long as you're safe."

"Are you all right, though? Did you get hurt anywhere? How bad was it? Is Tessa safe?" She grabbed him by the arm while she talked, dragging him into the kitchen and pushing him into a chair. "Are you hungry, should I start dinner?"

Sousuke stayed silent for a few moments, sorting through the questions he had been bombarded with. "Dinner would be wonderful, I haven't eaten since before the mission," that settled her mind on that and she immediately set to work cooking. He watched her, silent for a few moments more, before answering the rest of the questions.

"I'm well enough, no injuries besides some scrapes and bruises. It was difficult, but I would rather talk about that another time. The captain is safe and well, it seems her brother had advocated her good treatment," he paused, seeing Kaname shudder when he mentioned Tessa's brother. "Kaname? Is something wrong?"

She single-mindedly prepared supper, ignoring his question for several minutes. He let the silence stretch on, hoping that would do more to get her to speak than his persistence would. The only times she clammed up like this was when he asked about what happened when she was alone after he had been recalled by Mithril in October. Finally, he decided to ask another question, not expecting an answer, just a reaction he could judge by. "Have you met Leonard Testarossa before, Kaname?"

Her entire body tensed up and she paused in her work before returning to it with ferocity. Whatever she said now, he knew the truth. He would not press her though, not yet. "Of course not! How would I have ever met someone like him?" She spat out those last words with contempt, obviously having a severe dislike for the man.

"I see," he said the words quietly, letting her know with that small statement that he had seen through her. He would respect her privacy on the matter for now. Instead, he decided to play a dangerous game, knowing full well how Kaname felt about Tessa when it came to him. The two seemed well enough when left alone, it was only when he was involved that they were at odds, and now he had a better idea of why that was. "In any case, Tessa is doing well. I visited her before returning here."

Kaname growled low in her throat, and Sousuke was unsure of whether he should be amused or afraid. He found himself torn between those two often when she was involved. "Oh, is that right? Well, I'm glad your precious _captain_ is doing well after being kidnapped. It's a very _trying_ experience after all. I _would_ know. Maybe I should teach her how to deal with it, if she's going to be captured again. Then she could handle the stress of it _on her own_, like I do."

He smiled, grateful her back was to him. Kaname would be in a good mood soon enough, she always calmed down and became sweet tempered to him if he riled her up on this topic and then reminded her that he was with _her_, and not Tessa. He held back a sigh. He was learning how to play these games with her. It had been a dangerous nine months, and he still had much to figure out, but he had at least made some headway.

Rather than continuing on the topic of teaching Tessa, as he was sure she expected him to, he decided to backtrack to him returning. "Yes, it is good she is doing well. I was unable to stay with her as long as she had wanted me to, as I would have missed my flight to return to you. I would have had to wait another two days if I had."

Dinner was ready and Kaname set a full plate of curry rice in front of Sousuke with a gentle smile. "Well, I'm glad you wanted to come home so quickly! Did anything else happen, Sousuke?" She set down her own plate and poured them both water before sitting down for their meal.

For some reason, he choked on his rice at that, his face turning bright red. She jumped to the wrong idea, of course, and got mad again. "Sousuke! Nothing _better_ have happened between you and Tessa or I'll-!"

He shook his head quickly and drained half of his water to clear his throat before he could talk. "No! No, nothing like that! I would never, I swear!"

She glared at him, her hand slamming down on the table dangerously close to his. "You better not! What happened?!"

Sousuke blushed again and glanced down at his plate before meeting her gaze again, remembering his danger. "Nothing that I _think_ you would disapprove of. I just, ah, had a talk with Mao," Kaname strummed her fingers on the table impatiently, waiting for him to continue. "I just asked for her advice on a, uh, rather embarrassing topic," he gazed at her, pleading with his eyes for her to drop it.

"Hmph! Fine! I'll get it out of you one day!" He blushed again, even redder this time, and ducked his head, mumbling something under his breath. She glared at him, "What was that, Sousuke?"

He flinched before repeating himself, barely loud enough for her to hear this time. "I look forward to it…," he busied himself eating after that, hoping to avoid further discussion on the matter.

"You look forward to it? Just what is _that_ supposed to mean? Oh, nevermind!" She laughed lightly and ate her own dinner, smiling softly at him. Kaname was beginning to get an idea of what he might have asked Melissa about, so she let it drop. Poor Sousuke had no experience with even the idea of dating, and she had to stifle laughter when she remembered what he had initially thought flirting was.

With the teasing Onodera gave him, and the confusion Shinji caused when he tried to relate things to Sousuke in military terms without proper clarification, she certainly hoped Sousuke had learned his lesson and went to someone who understood him better to explain things. Not to mention, if Sousuke had learned anything at all, he should know by now to go to a girl for advice on girls.

They finished eating in a comfortable silence and washed up the dishes together. Then, Kaname led him gently into the living room, motioning him to sit on the couch while she went to the curious stack of wrapped boxes. She carried them over to him and placed them on the ground nearby with a gentle smile. "Have you ever unwrapped a gift, Sousuke?"

He started, looking at her with shock. Slowly, he shook his head, a small blush on his cheeks. She smiled and sat down beside him, handing a box to him. "Well! Now is a good time to start then! Don't worry about the paper, it's supposed to get ripped up, just open it with your hands, okay?"

Sousuke held onto the box, just looking at it for several moments before he felt Kaname tense up with impatience beside him. Turned the box around in his hands, and when he saw where it was taped down, he slid his fingers in to undo the flap and then slid the box out. He slid the top off slowly, revealing a soft brown cashmere sweater with a lighter brown scarf to go with it. He blinked at it, and then turned to look at Kaname questioningly.

She leaned against him, smiling softly. "I just thought that maybe you would like some clothes that would help you, I don't know, fit in better with normal civilians," she blushed and busied herself grabbing another box.

"You," he coughed, the word catching in his throat, and then continued with a stronger voice, "you didn't have to spend your money on me, Kaname. I know you don't get much to spend on yourself, you-," she placed two fingers on his lips, silencing him before sliding another box onto his lap.

"I wanted to, Sousuke. That's reason enough, so shush and enjoy your gifts," she took her fingers away and shyly replaced them with her lips before pulling back. The two stared at each other before continuing.

He opened the next box to find a pair of heavy black cargo pants and the cologne Kaname had picked out for him. He picked it up, confused, not understanding its purpose. She giggled and poked him in the side, "It's cologne, dummy. You spray a little of it on you so you smell nice. It's perfume for men."

"Oh. I see," he decided not to question it further, and put the two opened boxes off to the side when Kaname pushed another box at him. He went through and opened all the gifts Kaname had bought for him, coming out with a large number of new outfits. He had a hard time understanding why she would buy him anything, but she seemed really happy while he was opening everything, even more so when he expressed approval of the items.

She had been careful to pick out clothes he would be comfortable in, he noticed. She had not picked out the loose and useless type of clothing he had been made to wear when pretending to be Shirai. All the boxes, now opened, sat on the other side of his legs in a pile, and he stared down at them, wondering what he should do. He turned to Kaname, who was gazing at him expectantly.

"Thank you, Kaname. The clothes are appreciated," he blushed lightly, she was still giving him that look, her body edging closer now. He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her high cheekbones before he even realized he had moved to touch her. Kaname sighed happily and leaned forward even more. Sousuke swallowed harshly before leaning in to kiss her timidly.

That seemed to be what she was waiting for, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against him, causing him to fall back, laying down on the couch with her on top of him. He held her close, stroking her lower back gently and kissing her with more fervor now. Things seemed to go so well when he let his mind stop dictating his actions in these situations, so he let go, holding onto her possessively.

Kaname fisted her hands in his shirt, rubbing against him in a way that had him groaning and sliding his hands under her pajama top. She decided to be the bold one this time, and slid her tongue into his mouth with a moan. She let go of his shirt and reached under it to run her nails down his side, making Sousuke buck against her unexpectedly. Her eyes widened and she paused when she felt his arousal pressed against her hip. She pulled back, coming back to herself with embarrassment.

Sousuke panted under her, his eyes dark with lust turning into confusion, his hands rested on her back under her shirt. "Kaname? Did I do something wrong?" He looked concerned as he fought to gain control of himself, his breath still ragged and his face flushed.

She shook her head slowly and lowered herself to rest her head on his chest gently. He slipped his hands free of her shirt and rested them on her back, gently rubbing between her shoulder blades. "I'm sorry Sousuke. It was just a little too much at once," she blushed, realizing she was still sitting on the reason for her pulling back. She knew enough about men to realize he could not exactly control his reaction, but it was embarrassing all the same.

"I-I'm sorry, too, then, Kaname. I do not want to push you," he sounded ashamed now, and he shook slightly under her, his hands gripping her shirt tightly for a moment before letting go.

"It's all right, Sousuke, it's not your fault. I lost control as much as you did," she sighed softly and he shivered, her breath cool against his hot and damp skin. She smiled softly and nuzzled his chest, her hair tickling his nose. "This is nice."

He rubbed his nose and then smoothed her hair away with a soft smile. He had to agree, holding her like this was definitely nice. "Yes. This is very nice. Are you comfortable?"

Kaname sighed again, happily, and nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"

"Affirmative," she giggled when he said that, and he glanced down at her for a moment before shaking his head. They lay like that for a long while in silence, just enjoying being with each other again. It had been a long two days for them both. After some time, Sousuke heard her breathing even out, indicating she was asleep. He smiled tenderly and rubbed her back.

Since there was no way he could move without waking her, he shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable and then fell asleep himself. Experience had given him the ability to sleep in just about any position and immediately, needing to take advantage of rest whenever the chance presented itself.

* * *

Morning came around and Sousuke woke up with special notice to his surroundings. He was laying on Kaname's couch, the girl still sleeping peacefully atop him. He smiled and ran his hands through her hair. If he could choose a way to wake up for the rest of his life, it would be like this, with the girl he loved in his arms. Softly, he nuzzled her hair, enjoying the smell of almonds that came from the shampoo she used.

He could hear her alarm sound from her bedroom, and considered waking her up when he realized it could not do its job from there. He decided against it, though he was sure it would mean pain for him later, he was far too content to want to ruin the moment. Sousuke had never had a moment quite like this, where he felt so relaxed and happy, that he wanted it to last as long as possible, consequences be damned.

Since he wasn't going anywhere, he let himself drift back into a light sleep, hands tracing idle patterns along Kaname's back as he relaxed. It was a few hours later, around the time class would be starting, when he felt her stir above him and then yawn. She lifted herself up a little and gazed down at him, wearing a smile of pure happiness and contentment.

He returned it, shifting his hold so he could stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, then leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. She slipped off of him and stretched, his eyes roamed across her body as she did so, and he blushed. Kaname turned to look at the time, and when she noticed it was nearing nine, she scowled and turned an accusing look on him.

Sousuke stood up and walked over to her, hoping to pacify her with a hug. She let him wrap his arms around her, but she didn't return the hug, instead she looked up and glared at him. He stroked her hair softly and pressed a kiss to her temple. Finally, she lifted her arms to hug him, and burrowed her face in his chest. "Hell with it, let's just skip school today, Sousuke."

He knew he should object, but he did not want to. He just leaned back to kiss her on the forehead and take a small step away. "I should go back to my apartment to clean up."

"Nonsense. I have an extra toothbrush I haven't opened yet, you can use that. Everything else we can share. You have clean clothes," she pointed at the boxes by the couch, "so there's no reason for you to go anywhere. _I'm_ cleaning up first, though!" With that, she turned, whipping him in the face with her hair and disappearing into the bathroom.

He shook his head with a grin, amused by her attitude, and turned back to the boxes of clothes. He went through them and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a rust colored long sleeved shirt. All of the shirts Kaname had bought were made of soft materials, which would take some getting used to, since all of his military clothes were made of hard materials meant to take a beating.

As he had done that time nearly eight months back now, when the captain had escaped to his apartment, a Mithril safe house, with Takuma in tow, and took a shower at his place, he cursed his exceptional hearing. He could hear the clothes drop to the floor, even over the sound of running water, and he found himself losing himself in his imagination again. He shook his head harshly, afraid of what Kaname might think of him if she came out here when he was thinking such thoughts.

He sat on the couch and turned on the television, watching the news while she took her shower as a way to distract him. After half an hour she came out, a towel wrapped around her. "The shower is free now Sousuke," she said sweetly before sauntering into her room.

Sousuke stared at the closed door for several moments. She had to have done that on purpose. He could not understand _why_ she would, but she must have. He stood up slowly, grabbing his chosen outfit, and went to the bathroom to shower and clean up. Kaname had taken out the toothbrush she mentioned and left it sitting beside the sink. He smiled and shook his head, then undressed himself for his shower.

In the bedroom, Kaname got changed while humming happily to herself. She was upset about school, and could have just gone in late, but she decided not to bother. She wanted to spend the day with Sousuke, relaxing and having fun, instead of being bored in class. Besides, it was just reviews for finals this week, and today was the English review. Sousuke was fluent, and while she wasn't good if English was spoken quickly or with most of the technical talk Sousuke used, she knew everything that would be on the test.

She picked up the living room, throwing away the wrapping paper from the night before and setting the boxes up along the wall, neat and out of the way. A few minutes later Sousuke found her cooking breakfast, Kaname still humming and swaying to whatever song it was. He leaned against the doorframe, content to stand there and watch her. She knew he was there and pointed to the kitchen table without stopping what she was doing.

Slowly, he moved his way to the table, and as he pulled out a chair, he changed his mind. Sousuke turned and stepped quietly over to her, resting his hands on her waist. She yelped and dropped her spatula, having not heard him approach. He grinned and pressed his face against the side of her neck, kissing her softly as if to say sorry. She elbowed him lightly and glared, retrieving the spatula and returning to cooking.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I could have burned myself, you know," she growled, remembering the other times she burned herself on account of Sousuke the past couple of days.

He kissed her below the ear and murmured an apology, then wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, pulling her back slightly against him. Kaname leaned back into him with a soft sigh, and noticed he felt tense. She moved the pancakes she was making onto a plate already filled with a bunch, turned off the heat and moved the pan, then turned in his arms. "Is something wrong, Sousuke?"

Sousuke placed his fingers under her chin to gently tilt her head back and leaned forward to kiss her. He moved her away from the stove to press her against one of the counters, pinning her there with his arms on either side. Kaname leaned into the kiss, sighing softly into his mouth and he slid his tongue in between her parted lips.

All too soon for her liking, he pulled back, and drew her in close for a tight hug. "There're some things we need to talk about, Kaname. But it can wait until after breakfast," confused, she looked up at him and he shook his head. "Later."

She frowned but let it go, carting the plate of pancakes to the table, which was set, along with a bottle of syrup. There were some things she had liked from her time in America, and this was one of them. Sousuke took his seat now and smiled reassuringly to her. She poured orange juice for them and then took her own. They ate and cleaned up in silence, Kaname wondering what he might need to talk about, and Sousuke wondering how to go about it.

Finished, they went back into the living room to settle on the couch once more. "Okay Sousuke, I've been patient. What is it?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "We need to figure out what we're going to do, Kaname. This isn't just because of our new relationship. There are other things, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Our classmates aren't stupid, Kaname. They're bound to realize that we have been at the center of their problems. The high-jacking and the sea-jacking, and anything else that might happen. That is what Hayashimizu was talking to me about, on the roof the other day. He has noticed, who else might have?" He sighed, looking down at the ground, away from her pained expression. He shook his head and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly before continuing.

"He brought up a good point. People can be cruel, Kaname. I _want_ to protect you, here, with all of your friends, where you're happy and comfortable. I want to protect them, as a way of protecting you, I don't want you to have to suffer the guilt you would feel if something happened to them on your account. And I will keep doing that if that is what you choose.

"But what if they figure it out, and turn on you? They won't see you as a friend anymore, Kaname. Hayashimizu has been keeping others from noticing, he takes their attention away from us, but he'll be gone in a month," he took in a deep breath and tugged her close to him, holding her tight. "I have several arrangements set up. I have a lot of money saved up and hidden away, where even Mithril doesn't know about it. We could live anywhere you want, really.

"We don't have to go anywhere, either, if you don't want to. We can keep going this way, and I could even quit Mithril to stay with you all the time. It will be difficult, I might not be able to continue attending school, but I could always find ways to watch you. I would have to leave my apartment, since it's a safe house, but I could figure something out.

"It's up to you, Kaname. I will go along with whatever you choose. I just want you to know what we're looking at now. Okay?" She nodded against his chest and breathed in his scent deeply.

"Yeah. I-I need to think about this," she pulled back and looked at him sadly, but trying to give him a brave smile.

"Take as much time as you need."

* * *

**AN: Thanks go to you reviewers, much appreciated ^_^ I've been a little unsure if I've been keeping them in character, but I guess I've been doing a decent job at least, so thanks!**

**Also, I went back and fixed some typos and grammatical mistakes in the previous chapters, hopefully I caught them all.  
**

**And please, as always, R&R. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry about the last chapter not having much in the way of real content, I was in a fluff mood. This one will start in a similar vein, but there's actual plot later on, promise. Before the plot, though, is some citrusy fresh almost-smut. Skip if you no likey, it's obvious enough where it starts and it ends at a scene change, so there's a break.**

**

* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Six**

It had been a few hours and they had not moved from their spot on the couch. Sousuke lay back, stretched out, with Kaname against him, her back snuggled securely at his chest, his hands resting limply on her stomach. He could tell she was thinking, occasionally she tugged her bangs or chewed her hair, sometimes tapping the side of the couch.

When he had tried to move to give her space and privacy to think, she had yanked him back onto the couch and pinned him down the way they were resting now with a growl and muttered "Don't you dare go anywhere, mister, you're staying right where you are while I think about this."

He had not dared go against her, not with that look in her eyes. So he just lay there now, waiting for her to either come to a decision or look for a distraction. Since it was just after lunchtime, he had a feeling she would be rousing soon. He had felt her stomach rumble under his hands not too long ago.

Kaname did not disappoint. She yawned and stretched on top of him, making him bite his lip, and then she hopped off the couch and looked down at him with a grin. "Well! It's hard to think on an empty stomach! Let's eat something, Sousuke, I'm sure you're hungry right?" He smiled and nodded, knowing full well by now that her asking if he was hungry meant _she_ was.

He stood up and followed her into the kitchen. She pulled out the leftovers from the night before and heated them up, leaning against the counter with a thoughtful look on her face. "Hey Sousuke..."

Sousuke looked at her, taking in her posture. Her voice had sounded worried and scared, and her body was shaking with tension, her shoulders slumped and head bowed so her hair would hide her face. "Kaname? What is it?"

"What if we just ran away from it all? Would everyone still be in danger because of me? What about my family, Sousuke? Will I ever see my sister and father again?" She turned away from him and gripped the counter tightly, her knuckles turning white. Sousuke slowly walked over to her and saw she was crying, tears running down her face to splash on the countertop.

He pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly. He wished he could say something that would make her feel better, but he could not lie to her. "I'm sorry Kaname. No matter what we do, they will all still be in danger. They can easily be used as bargaining chips to get you to do what Amalgam wants," he decided not to add that if they did leave everything behind, Amalgam might take it out on all of them anyways.

The person he used to be would have.

She turned in his arms and rubbed her face into his shirt with a soft sigh. "Well, I guess if they're in danger no matter what we do, then there's no point in changing our life style, right? At least this way, you'll be here to help against anything that might happen to them," she pulled back and wiped her tears away with her arm and smiled up at him. "If they do turn against us, well, we'll deal with it then. I can handle it," she gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, "as long as you're with me. Right? Together, we can do anything."

He smiled at her and nodded. "That's right," he watched her as she busied herself with their food, setting one plate down on the table and shoving the other into the microwave defiantly. Sousuke remembered what he had told her at his fishing spot in Merida, that he felt like he could do anything when he was with her. It dawned on him that she had been talking about that, and that she had been saying she felt the same when she was with him.

Kaname moved around the kitchen, getting them set up to eat their lunch while thinking. She very much wanted to ask Sousuke to quit Mithril, but not if it meant that he might not be able to keep going to school. For now, she would leave that alone. As long as he was called out rarely, she could put up with it for the time being. Sousuke had taken his seat at the table while she was moving around, and now she sat down beside him.

"So what do you want to do today, Sousuke?"

Slowly eating, he thought about it. He thought he might like to take her somewhere, like that Fuwa guy had, but it was far too cold to do anything quite like that. He thought back to when he was trying to act like Shirai, the arcade, the movie theater, karaoke, but he had ruined all of those moments. He wanted Kaname to have fun, and as long as he was with her, and not inciting her rage, he was content.

Finally, he shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you would like to do, Kaname, is fine with me. We could stay here, or go out somewhere, it's your choice," he watched her out of the corner of his eye, seeing her tap her cheek thoughtfully with one finger.

Kaname finished off her lunch and grabbed their plates to clean up. "Well, we should probably wait to go out until later, since we skipped school and all. I don't want to get caught for truancy. But, well, why don't we go see a movie or something?" She blushed and kept her eyes fixed on the plate she was scrubbing. "As long as you promise you won't talk in the theater again, I think that would be nice," _like a real date_, she thought.

Sousuke nodded, "I will do my best to behave. I believe I understand what it is that I did wrong last time and can avoid repeating my mistakes," it was Kaname's turn to eye him while working on something else. She was trying to figure out if he actually did know what he did wrong. He always seemed so clueless, but she had to admit, he was getting better.

"Well," she broke the silence, "that's good! You better behave yourself, because this time it's a _real_ date," she turned a warning glare on him and saw him blush deep red and nod. She fought back one of her own, feeling her ears heat up, and shoved the dishes into their spots to distract herself. When she closed the last cabinet, she spoke softly, "Besides, we need to do more in our new relationship than just make-out all the time."

"Yes," Sousuke agreed, shifting his weight nervously. He was ashamed to realize that their relationship really had developed like that. What might she be thinking of him, a guy that could not seem to keep his hands to himself, despite the fact that he should be an expert with restraint? He did not notice Kaname approach, and jumped when she placed her hand on his arm.

She giggled at his reaction and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, Sousuke. I definitely _enjoy_ kissing you, and I haven't done much to stop it. I'm just saying that since we have the time, we should go do other things, too," she had accurately guessed what was bothering him, and won a timid smile from him with her words. At a thought, she turned bright red, and glanced away. "And, well, we have a few hours until we'll go out, so," she plucked his shirt in a nervous gesture and slowly raised her eyes to meet his, head still bowed.

It took him a few moments, but he finally caught on to what it was she was trying to say. He swallowed thickly, nodded, and slowly wrapped his arms around her. She wriggled out of his hold and grabbed his hand, leading him past her couch and into her bedroom. She turned to look at him, still blushing, and tugged him down onto the bed, "It's more comfortable than the couch," she stated, trying to sound like it was the most obvious thing.

"Affirmative," he had been trying to speak less _otaku_, as Kaname put it, but when he was nervous, he just could not help it. They lay down beside each other on the bed, both feeling anxious. There was that same tension between them that there had been when they were holding hands just a few days ago, the tension that said something would change between them. If something happened now, when they were lying like this, well, there weren't too many different things it could be.

Kaname was the one that pressed on through the tension this time, pressing her lips to his, shifting her body closer. She loved the way she felt, crushed against his hard body, and he certainly did not disappoint her. Sousuke gripped her waist almost too roughly, pulling her flush against him and returning the kiss fiercely.

She loved that it was his intense fighting personality that controlled him when they were like this, and not the reticent, clueless school boy. Her own fighting spirit loved the challenge, both battling for control of the other instead of one leading the other. It felt good to have something neither of them could teach the other, something they could share in the learning and experience of with equal enjoyment.

Sousuke pressed his knee between her legs and rolled her onto her back. She moaned when his thigh rubbed against her and he took advantage of her situation to slide his tongue into her mouth. Kaname grabbed his shirt and yanked it up, interrupting their kiss to pull it over his head and throw it on the floor. He bit his lip when she scratched his sides gently with her nails, leaving thin white trails on his skin.

With a growl that could only be described as feral, he bent his head to nip at her throat, pressing his teeth down on her pulse point and trailing down to her collarbone. She panted, losing this battle, and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Kaname put one hand to the back of Sousuke's head in a silent order for him not to stop what he was doing. The other she used to score his back teasingly, reveling in every moan and growl she got for her efforts.

He pressed down on her, laying one forearm flat on the bed to support his weight, the other hand trailed down from her throat to her stomach, unfastening each button it encountered on its journey. Kaname gasped at the feel of the air hitting her heated skin and arched into his touch. He grinned, the expression hidden from her view, and he kissed down her chest, nipping at her breasts just above the cups of her bra. He slipped his arm around her back and fumbled with the clip.

Sousuke muttered under his breath and pulled back, scowling down at her bra. Kaname laughed breathlessly and arched her back, reaching behind to undo the offending garment. She slipped her shirt off while she was in the position, and tossed both pieces of clothing to the floor just before being pinned to the bed again. Sousuke pushed her roughly into the mattress, kissing her and running his hands along her exposed skin possessively.

Kaname bit her lip to hold back a scream when Sousuke pinched one of her nipples, and cursed him when she saw him smirk. She had to do it again when he replaced his fingers with his mouth, teeth scraping gently against it. He had no idea where his boldness was coming from, and he could only assume that the ideas to do these things to her had come from overhearing his fellow soldiers and male classmates.

Whatever the reason, he was enjoying himself, the sounds Kaname made under him and her squirming exciting him. After lavishing attention on both breasts, he lifted himself up to kiss her again, his arms wrapping around her waist. Sousuke rolled them over so that Kaname was now the one on top, though he held her tightly against his chest, loving the feel of her naked chest pressed against his.

She was more than happy to let him keep her pinned for the time being, trying to calm herself down after that onslaught of sensations. They ran their hands along each others bodies, Sousuke memorizing the feel of her soft skin and the curves of her body, Kaname memorizing every patch of raised skin that marked a scar on his. They continued on that way for some time, exploring new sensations, the feel of their bodies, and their reactions to each other.

* * *

Sousuke was amused by the sight of Kaname practically drowning in the coat she had taken from his place. It was a very good coat, one of his favorites, but he did not mind her stealing it. If anything, it made him feel good, seeing her in his clothes stirred the newly possessive side of him. He knew he should be trying to control those feelings, Kaname was not a _thing_ to own, but he could not stop himself.

It had started to snow, and Kaname had growled fiercely at the weather the moment they had left her apartment. Now, they were walking hand in hand in the entertainment district, though it would be more accurate to say he was being dragged to the movie theater. His girlfriend did not like the cold and she was intent to get into a heated building as soon as possible. "Kaname," he started slowly, pausing when he realized it was probably unwise to voice his question.

It was too late, now, though. He had started, and she would hear it from him no matter what. "What is it, Sousuke?" As if she could read his mind, Kaname glared at him, daring him to say something stupid. He twitched, giving her cause to intensify her glare.

He coughed to clear his throat and averted his eyes, speaking in an off-handed matter in hopes that she would take less offense to his words if he presented it casually. "Why do you wear short skirts in the winter if the cold bothers you so much?"

She released his hand and stomped forward a few steps before stopping and spinning to face him head on, sticking a finger in his chest. "What? You don't appreciate my efforts to look cute for you? I dress like this to impress, you know," she sniffed indignantly and turned to the side, crossing her arms with a huff.

Sousuke blushed and fought for words. Kaname stalked away and he had to rush to catch up. Timidly, he slipped her hand into his and tried for an apologetic smile. It failed, but she noticed his effort and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kaname. I did not realize. Ah, you _do_ look very nice. I just thought you might wish to be more comfortable is all," he looked at her the same way he had the first time he had called her beautiful.

Turning red, Kaname turned quickly and yanked on his hand, dragging him forward. "Well! As long as you noticed, and now you know! So you just make sure to remember to compliment me on my looks more often, understand? Ah, finally," she pulled him into the theater and made a happy noise when the heated air hit her. "Now, remember Sousuke, no yelling at the movie, and it's my choice this time since we watched a military film last time, got it?"

He nodded and followed her up to the counter, paid for their tickets and snacks, and continued following her to the theater. Kaname had chosen a Korean romantic comedy, _My Sassy Girl_, and while he wasn't particularly interested, he tried to pay attention. It did amuse him that the girl in the film had a habit of beating the poor man, and he found himself enjoying the film in spite of himself.

When the film ended, Kaname, of course, voiced praise of the girl's handling of the man, while Sousuke found himself feeling sympathetic to the guy's plight. Kaname also praised Sousuke for behaving himself in the theater, and asked if he could keep up the good behavior long enough to go out to dinner.

A few hours later they walked back into Kaname's apartment, escaping from the cold. It had started to snow even harder at some point when they were at dinner, and Kaname had made them run most of the way from the restaurant. She took off the coat and her shoes and stepped towards her living room. When she noticed Sousuke wasn't following, she halted and turned to look at him.

"Well? Aren't you coming, Sousuke?"

He hesitated, glancing nervously between her and the door. "Would it be all right? I mean, it is getting late, and we should not miss another day of school."

Kaname looked at her feet, shuffling for a few moments before turning her gaze back to him. Her cheeks were slightly pink as she spoke, "Well, yeah. I… I would like it if you would stay the night, Sousuke. I slept really well with you there last night," she did not add why it was that she had a hard time sleeping without him. It had nothing to do with the anxiety she felt when he was on his mission.

As soon as Sousuke started making his move to follow her inside, she walked in ahead of him. She did not know why, but when she had woken up in Sousuke's arms, there was none of that morning lethargy she was prone to. The few extra moments because of her low blood pressure were there, but not the tiredness she felt because of her Whispered state. There was none of that feeling of floating, or that her brain had been far too active for far too long for her to get her proper rest.

It was a wonderful feeling, waking up refreshed for the first time since her latent talent had been tapped in North Korea. She realized for the first time how bad her rest had been for the past nine months, and she was willing to do just about anything to get that rest again. "Hey Sousuke, I'm gonna take a shower and change, okay?"

He was still at the doorway, having taken of his coat, but not his shoes yet. "I'll be right back. If I'm going to spend the night then I should get my school uniform and bag," he grabbed his coat back off the hook and put it back on.

"All right, Sousuke, but you better be back by the time I get out of the shower. I don't want to have to go out in the snow just to drag you back here, got it?" He could hear the door to the bathroom close, and took that to mean that he should hurry up.

He did not take long at his apartment, grabbing the clothes he would need, checking his security systems, and rushing back. He knew full well that she took long showers, but did not want to risk her wrath. Once again, he found himself watching the news as a way to distract himself while she was in the shower. She came out and directed him to take one himself while she went to her room to change. When he got out, she was sitting on her couch with her school things at hand, beckoning him over.

Sousuke raised his brows curiously, taking his seat beside her. "I forgot to give you the notes I took while you were gone. There was a lot in Classic and Modern Lit so I want you to get this now. We have a couple hours left before we should get to sleep, so I can help you study this for a little while, ok?"

That, of course, meant he had no choice in the matter. He got back up to retrieve his bag, and got to work diligently copying her notes and listening to her explanations. When it got close to ten, Kaname yawned and stretched, putting her books away. "Well, that went better than I expected. You're finally learning, Sousuke! It only took nearly a year, but we'll make a normal person of you yet," she giggled and stood up, taking his hand and dragging him to her room.

* * *

The morning went similar to the previous one, except this time Kaname woke up on time. She took a quicker shower than usual and made breakfast and lunch while Sousuke took his. She hummed happily the whole while, feeling good after another night of rest. "Hey, Sousuke?"

They were sitting on the train beside each other, holding hands that rested on her bare knee. He glanced over at her, "Yes Kaname?"

"Why don't you move in?" He made a choking noise and she continued quickly, "I mean, you can protect me better if you're there, right? And I know I can trust you. And this way I can help you study better, and I can make sure you're eating right, and," she trailed off, looking down at her feet now.

Sousuke coughed nervously, his palm growing sweaty in her hand. "Are you sure, Kaname? I don't want to intrude on your space…"

She scoffed, "Sousuke, I wouldn't offer if it would bother me, so stop asking me 'Are you sure' every single time, got it? We'll never get anything done if you're constantly questioning me!" Despite the fact that it was far too soon in their relationship to be moving to this step, she did not care. Chidori Kaname valued her sleep, and so she would suffer any embarrassment to be able to assure many nights full of wonderful rest.

"Well, then, I accept," he winced as he remembered the traps and continued, "ah, can I ask for one condition to be met though?"

She did not like the way he said that and turned a glare on him. "So-u-su-ke-?" She growled his name out, shaking in mounting rage. How could that idiot ask her to make a concession when it was _her_ apartment he would be moving into?

Realizing his danger, he decided to get out quickly, "I would have asked for this regardless if I was moving in or not, Kaname. It's a concern I have. While I have various systems set up around your apartment to guard from intruders, there are those skilled enough to get through them. Sometimes low-tech is the way to go in guarding from such individuals, and I would like to place noise traps around your apartment.

"Ordinarily, I would trust in my instincts when it comes to noticing intruders, but I have noticed that when we, ah, are together lately, I find my observational skills regarding the surrounding area to be lacking," he tried not to stammer, but he could do nothing about his nervous habit of sweating heavily. This was dangerous ground he was treading on, either Kaname would be furious at the invasion of her home, or would be flattered that she could distract him from his ever important mission.

Lucky for him, Kaname was in a giving mood. She was quite pleased with the state of their physical relationship, and was even more so to note that he was too. She instantly calmed down and squeezed his hand. "Well, I suppose I can allow that, if it's enough to worry the big bad soldier. You can have your traps, Sergeant."

He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled warily at her. They arrived at their stop and walked into school, still holding hands. Everyone around them that saw started whispering, and by the time they got into class, the entire school knew. Even though Kyouko already knew, she was waiting for them at the door with her camera in hand. She got a few pictures before the couple was surrounded.

Eri entered the room and tapped her folders on the podium. "Everyone, settle down! You can bother Sagara and Chidori after school! Now," the class settled down immediately and roll call began. During the excitement, Sousuke and Kaname and missed it, but they noticed during role.

There was another person in class. That person sat looking glumly down at her desk, hands folded in her lap.

That person was, of course, none other than one Teletha Testerossa.

* * *

Review week was long and boring. Lunch was even more welcome than usual, but the students found it hard to be excited. They quietly ate their lunches, discussed their fears about the tests, and traded little gossip. Tessa had gotten some of her spirit back during the school day, and decided that it might be fun to stir up some trouble between Sousuke and Kaname.

After all, she was on a mandatory vacation, and had to have fun in some way. Kaname's temper always amused her, and Sousuke's reactions were priceless. She pulled up a seat beside the couple, grinning. That immediately set the both of them on alert. "Hello Kaname-san! Sousuke!"

Now he regretted his decision to tell her to call him by his first name. The glare Kaname turned on him was one of her more potent ones, and if he was made of lesser stuff he may have wilted. Instead, he coughed nervously. "Uh, good afternoon, Tessa-san," he hoped by adding the '-san,' Kaname would back down.

"Yes. Hello, Tessa," she was still glaring at him and practically growled the words, "it's so _nice_ to see you again." Kaname turned and gave Tessa a strained smile, "How was your week?"

Sousuke winced. It was a low blow to the captain, and would also reflect badly on him, showing that he broke confidentiality protocol and talked about his missions with Kaname. He coughed again and looked around, decided teasing at the hands of his more innocent classmates would be preferable, and stood up to excuse himself. "Uh, well, I think Kazama wanted to talk to me about something," he ran away before Kaname could pull him back into his seat.

Even Tessa glared after him, not appreciating that he had let slip about her capture to Kaname. "That man is dead," Kaname growled barely loud enough for Tessa to hear. She had to agree though. Running away from the situation was doubly damning for him. "Well, anyways," she turned to look at the smaller girl, most of her animosity gone with Sousuke.

"It _is_ nice to see you again, Kaname-san. Though if I had remembered it was test season, I would not have come to school," she twisted her braid thoughtfully, tickling her nose with the tip. "Was Sagara-san with you last night?" It did not seem right to call him Sousuke now, so she went back to what she usually referred to him as.

Kaname eyed her carefully, wondering if she was trying to play any games with her. "Yeah, he was. And he's moving in, too. How come he didn't notice you were there when he went to his apartment last night?" She made the assumption that Tessa was staying at his place again, especially since she was asking about his whereabouts, indicating that she knew he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Tessa shrugged, "I think he came when I was buying groceries. I don't know how he hadn't noticed that I had been there, though, he must have been distracted," the look she gave Kaname clearly said what she assumed he was distracted by.

Curse her pride for trying to one up the girl, now Tessa thought she was some kind of hussy. "Nothing like _that_ happened. At least not yet," she crossed her arms and turned away with a huff, blowing her bangs out of her eyes in the process. She glanced over at Sousuke, who was surrounded by the guys. They seemed to have regained some of their usual spunk, ribbing Sousuke and laughing at every blush and mumbled sentence they worked out of him.

When he saw Kaname looking at him, looking less irritated, he retreated to return to her side. He sat down with a relieved sigh that earned him no sympathy. "You better not have said anything that would tarnish my good name, Sousuke!"

He looked at her in shock, then reached his hand up to scratch the scar on his face while thinking. "Kaname? I would have had to lie to do such a thing, right? Why would I lie?"

"Boys always lie about the things they did with girls, honestly Sousuke, don't you know anything?"

"I have come to realize this fact, yes. But I don't see the point in it. What good would come of boasting about something that did not happen?"

She pulled her harisen out and smacked it hard on his desk, barely missing his nose with the downward swing. "Absolutely none! In fact, only bad would come of it, all for you, so don't you dare!"

Sousuke gulped and nodded nervously. When she didn't stop glaring at him, he decided she must be waiting for verbal agreement. "Of course, Kaname," he paused for a moment, then continued sincerely, "I am not Kurz. I have more respect than that."

Satisfied, Kaname put the large paper fan away with a grin. "Good boy. We have nothing to worry about then."

At that time, the teacher walked back into the room. The students found their seats and prepared for the time of two periods spent reviewing Classic Japanese Literature to be passed in complete boredom. It would not be so bad if their teacher could make it exciting, but he just droned on in a monotone voice.

It was a long two weeks of school, reviews and tests taking their toll on everyone's spirits.

* * *

**AN: Not much to say but here's a little on **_**My Sassy Girl**_**:**

**I haven't seen the American remake of **_**My Sassy Girl**_**, and I'm afraid to, but the original Korean movie is amazing. I believe the original title is "Yeopgijeogin geunyeo" or "That Bizarre Girl." If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It's hilarious and heart-wrenching all at once.**

**I could see even Sousuke being amused by the movie, the girl's abuse of the guy would certainly be something he could relate to. There's also a short scene with a runaway soldier and the ROK Armed Forces in an amusement park (at night) which would probably catch his interest.**

**It was just a movie I thought would fit in well with the characters, so I thought I'd explain why I'd chosen it. I don't know if it actually aired in theaters in Japan or when, if it did, but it came out in July 2001 in S. Korea. Assuming some time for translating, it would probably fit in about right. If you were to assume the anime timeline for the fic, it would be early 2002 now.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Unfortunately, I've been having a difficult time finding good sources on the yearly schedule Japanese high schools run on, and when I do find one, I tend to forget to bookmark it. So, I'm going from memory here. Please forgive me if I've been screwing it up.**

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Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Seven**

At last, finals were over for first and second year students at Jindai High. The third year students were gone from the school for their own examinations, and the school seemed a little lonely with an entire year of students gone. It was the middle of February now, and the next month could be spent almost lazily. There were no festivals to prepare for, no class trips scheduled, tests were done, and the new school year would not begin until April.

Saturday half-days were done for the year, so the students could enjoy full weekends free. Of course, most of the second year students were not enjoying their new free time. Most spent their time studying, preparing for their final year and college entrance exams early. And most of those same students went to cram school, for that extra edge.

Kaname had no need of such things. For the first time in her Japanese education, she felt she could actually enjoy this free time. Perhaps there was a plus to being a Whispered. Her science and math skills were exceptional because of it, she had lived in America so she was fluent enough with English to have no worries, and she had always been good with Classic and Modern Literature.

The only subjects she might have to worry about would be history and geography, but those just happened to be Sousuke's two best subjects, so she decided not to dwell on it. In some ways, she wondered if she should be forcing Sousuke to go to cram school and to do extra studying, but did he really need it? If he were a normal student, then he certainly would, since most of his grades were abysmal. But even if he did, there would be no way he would qualify for a university she would want to go to anyways, and Mithril would pay to keep him near her.

That infuriated her, almost all Japanese students worked themselves to near death to get into the best schools possible, and all it took for him was waving some money around. Of course, he more literally worked himself to 'near death.' And she had to admit that not having to study on account of her special abilities meant she was just as guilty of getting into school unfairly. Well, perhaps she would give Sousuke a little grief when that day came, just because it would be too unlike her not to.

At that moment, she was enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon as best as she could. Sousuke was gone though, mandatory training and testing with Mithril, so she was growing bored. All of her friends from school were either at cram school or working part time jobs. So she was laid out on her bed, resting on her stomach and propping herself up with her elbows. She was reading a book she had asked her sister to send her, the complete collection of the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. She had some of the individual books, but it was definitely better to read them all at once.

Kaname hadn't had much time to read lately, anyways. Most of the time she was doing something with Sousuke, either going out on dates or having rather enjoyable and enthusiastic make-out sessions. She sighed and closed her book after marking her spot. As much as she wanted to read, her thoughts were wandering. She and Sousuke had been practically joined at the hip the past couple of weeks, and she was feeling disoriented without him there.

She even found herself wishing that Tessa was there, but she had returned to Merida with Sousuke the day before. Kaname growled to herself at that thought. Tessa did not have to participate in any testing or training, she probably had gone back just to spend time with Sousuke. Time that Kaname was excluded from. She knew full well that Sousuke was completely loyal and devoted to her, but that did not stop her from feeling jealous. Tessa had lost, dammit, and yet she was still trying to get her hooks into him.

Her phone rang and she glanced at it. It was the middle of the day and all of her friends should be busy, including Sousuke, and it would be the middle of the night in New York. It made her nervous, and she let the answering machine pick it up. If no one spoke, she would go to Sousuke's old apartment, which was still a Mithril safe house. Sousuke had taught her all about how criminals case homes and targets, and some of his paranoia had begun to rub off on her.

She had no reason to worry, though she was confused. It was her sister, and she was babbling happily on the machine, not scared or worried. She grabbed the phone and picked it up, "Ayame?"

"Kana-nee! Guess what, guess what, guess what!" Kaname grinned and shook her head, trying not to laugh at her sister's enthusiasm. She didn't have to respond, either, since the young girl plowed on with barely a pause for air, "We're in Tokyo! And we're coming over, ok!"

At first, she was excited. It had been fully a year since she had seen her father and sister, and while she wasn't on the best of terms with her father, she missed her younger sister's boundless energy. Then, she looked around her apartment and cringed. There were signs of her living with a guy everywhere, from Sousuke's shoes and coats at the door, to a rifle case sitting under the large window in the living room. Not to mention the noise traps he had insisted on made the place look messier than it actually was.

This was not going to be a nice visit. "Kana-nee? Is everything okay? You didn't answer. Ooh! I know! You have a guy there, don't you," she could hear her father shout 'Better not!' through the receiver and Ayame snicker.

Kaname sighed, and wondered if she should give prior warning of what they would find when they got to her place. Might as well, it would at least keep the initial explosion away from her, those first moments of anger and temper being what always set her and her father at odds anyways. Maybe if he had some time to simmer first, it wouldn't be so bad. "No, Ayame, Sousuke's not home right now."

Ayame gasped and then relayed the message to their father. There were some sounds of outrage and swearing, and then her sister quickly said they would see her soon and hung up. Sometimes, Kaname believed that whole 'be careful what you wish for' thing. Here she was, feeling somewhat lonely with everyone gone, and her family decides to pay a surprise visit.

Maybe she should invite her grandfather. The man was fond of Sousuke, and they had kept in contact since he had brought her mother's diary. They had even told old Shujiro about their new arrangement last week. Of course, Shujiro had _not_ approved of Shunya, so why would her father take his opinion on Sousuke to heart? She sighed and decided to call her grandfather and at least get his advice.

The phone rang a couple of times and one of her aunts picked up. "Hello, who's this?"

"Hi Aunty, it's Kaname. Is Grandpa Shujiro there?" The woman on the line huffed angrily and got the man. She sighed. Even though the head of the Komura family was showing acceptance of her now, her mother's family was still stand-offish.

Shujiro picked up, "Hello, Kaname. How are you?"

Kaname smiled despite everything. Even just the sound of his kind voice made her feel better about the situation. "Hi, Grandpa. I'm doing pretty good, but, ah, actually I have a bit of a problem on my hands."

He laughed gently, "A problem is it, Kaname? What kind of a problem?"

"Well, my dad and sister decided to pay a surprise visit. I just got a call from my sister saying they're in Tokyo and heading over," she paused, trying to think of how she should go from there.

"You're worried about how Shunya will take your new living arrangements?"

"Yeah. Sousuke's not home, either, so they can't even meet him. He went to visit his guardian in Australia this weekend," Kalinin, or 'Preminin' as he was known on the school records, was technically Sousuke's guardian, and Argyros Security Firm in Australia was the West Pacific Fleet's cover business. So, they decided that whenever Sousuke was gone on Mithril business, the excuse was that he was visiting his guardian.

"Well, I don't think you want me there, Kaname. Shunya and I don't much get along."

Kaname tried not to sigh, "I know, Grandpa. Do you have any advice, maybe?"

Shujiro was quiet for several long moments, trying to think of anything that might help. "Well, honestly, there is not much I can think of that will help. It's a father's job to be protective of his girls, and if I were in his shoes, I would be furious too. Remind him of your grades, your sense of responsibility, and let him know that when you and the boy go to bed, it's only for sleeping," the terseness in his voice said that it had _better_ be all they did.

"Yes of course," she and Sousuke had not had sex yet, but they had come close to losing their control completely on several occasions.

"You can tell him that I approve of the boy and the situation. It can't hurt, but I'm not so sure it will help too much either."

There was a knock on the door, delaying Kaname's reply. "All right, Grandpa, thank you. I think they're here, so I'm going to go."

He chuckled, "All right. Good luck."

"Thank you!" She hung up the phone and ran to the door, checking the peephole before opening the door. "Uh, hi Father, Ayame," she moved to the side to let them in. Her father quickly removed his shoes and stomped around the house. Ayame just gave her a sorrowful look.

"Kaname," Shunya's voice was strong and clear and left no room for disobeying. Kaname lived to be contrary, though, so she took her time in walking up to him. He glared at her and she glared back defiantly. "Kaname. Why have you let a boy move in with you? Moreover, why have you let a boy move in when _I_ pay your rent, and when I have not heard anything of him or met him yet? You're only sixteen!"

She scowled up at him, "_Seventeen_, Father. Thanks for caring," she could go on about the other things, but she decided to work the guilt factor he presented to her first.

He was taken aback, but it only lasted a moment. "Do not change the subject. Answer my question."

"Which one?" Ayame carefully edged around the two and took a seat on the couch to watch them. Kaname's audacity awed her, and she shook her head, not sure if she should admire her sister or fear for her sanity.

Kaname was reminded of where she got her glares and temper from by the look her father had fastened on her. "Do. Not. Play. Games. With. Me."

She realized her defiance was going to work against her if she kept it up, so she relented and gave him his answers. "I let _Sousuke_ move in with me because I feel safer with him here. I've had a very rough year if you didn't know," of course he did, but she could carry on the guilt from his mistake on her age with little stabs like this. "Sousuke only moved in 3 weeks ago, but he said that he would be putting money in my account as rent that I can either give back to you, or use towards university expenses.

"You _have_ heard of Sousuke, you just forgot his name. I talk about him all the time," that one worked against her and she realized her mistake the moment she said it.

"The only person besides Tokiwa that you talk about is that maniac that blows up the school and shoots guns at people!" Shunya would, of course, take that moment exactly to notice the rifle case. "You let him keep guns here?!"

Her grip on her temper was slipping, and she had to grind her teeth and clench her fists to keep from shouting. "Yes, I do. _I_ won't touch them, though he's been after me to learn in case I need to take up a gun to protect myself. And he _is_ responsible with them. He's gotten so much better, he hasn't blown anything up or pointed his gun at anyone since October.

"And he never shot anyone! The only guys he ever fired his gun at were thugs, yakuza, and would-be rapists! And he only used non-lethal rounds! He's never hurt anyone innocent before, just scared them. And it isn't his fault! You don't know what kind of life he lived!"

"Just what have you been getting into, Kaname? Thugs! Yakuza! Rapists?!"

"It isn't like I went looking for trouble! It would take way too long to explain all the situations to you, Father, but I want you to know that it's _Sousuke_ that always gets me out safe. Okay?" she panted, having taken to raising her voice and not pausing for air. She hoped her point was getting across.

Shunya ran his hand through his short hair with a growl, another habit she had gotten from him. The fact of the matter was, they didn't get along because they were far too alike, and both far too stubborn. He walked around the apartment, taking in every little thing, including the noise traps. When he raised his brows at them and turned an inquiring look on her, she just shrugged.

He seemed to be calming down, so she decided to keep her other positive things to say about Sousuke in reserve. She hated playing these games with her father, she could never tell just what he was thinking. "Where does he sleep?"

_Here we go_, "We sleep together, but we haven't _slept_ together, Father." He gave her a skeptical look.

"You're telling me that for the past three weeks you have been sharing a bed with a teenage boy, but you haven't had sex? Wait, don't answer that just yet. Ayame, why don't you go into the spare room and play on your laptop," it may have been phrased as a question, but it was an order. Ayame scrambled to do as she was told, not wanting him to release any of his anger on her.

Once Ayame was out of earshot, Shunya turned his attention back to Kaname. She sat down on the couch, hard, and thought about how much she should or shouldn't say. "I'm not lying, Dad," she decided to be a little less formal, hoping it would soften him. "I _would_ be lying if I said we hadn't _almost_ had sex, but we haven't actually done it yet," she sighed and glanced down at her feet before quickly returning her gaze to his.

She flushed bright red, but decided that it would be best to be completely honest here. "We haven't been completely naked with each other, but we have gotten down to our underwear. We, uh, we do have condoms, though, just in case. We are _trying_ to wait, but sometimes we just lose control a little," she tilted her head to the side and decided to use a dirty tactic. "I know you know what that's like, Dad. Grandpa Shujiro gave me Mom's diary."

Never would she have expected to see her father blush, and she had to bite her lip to not giggle at the sight. He stammered a little, realizing now that just about anything he might have said to her was now invalidated by the fact that she knew what he had been like at her age. "Sousuke and I are careful, Dad. We both are content to wait, but if it happens, we're ready, too. We love each other," she raised her hand when he began to protest, and it wasn't the gesture but her audacity in using such a gesture that shut him up.

"Not that silly, typical high school romance bullshit," she even surprised herself when she swore. She realized now just how much she detested the swooning puppy love her classmates swore was true love. "I mean it, Dad. It's the real thing. I don't want to go into it right now, but we have been through a lot together. So many things have happened and I know that if it wasn't the real thing, well," Kaname sighed. She thought back to Kowloon, that empty expression on Sousuke's face, her own complete despair when she entered his bare apartment.

If they did not love each other, they never would have seen each other after that. She did not know exactly what Sousuke had felt when he had been made to leave as they never talked about those days because of the pain. She knew her own feelings though, and had a strong suspicion his had been very similar.

Shunya watched as his daughter wrapped her arms around herself, an expression of complete loss and loneliness creep across her face. The expression perfectly mirrored the feeling he had when Shizu had died from her cancer. It hurt to see his daughter in such pain, and he wondered just what it was that she had been through. He sat down beside her and slid his arm across her shoulders to pull her close. "All right, Kaname. I believe you," his voice came out slightly choked.

Kaname looked up in surprise, having forgotten even that he was there. She had gotten lost in her memories and the swamp of emotions she always experienced when thinking of those days. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered, barely able to speak through the lump in her throat.

He cleared his own throat and nodded. "Will I get to meet this young man?"

She smiled and hugged him with a small, happy laugh. "He's in Australia, but he should be back tomorrow night at the latest," just as she said that, the door opened and Sousuke began to call out an 'I'm home,' when he noticed the bags and the extra shoes and coats at the entrance. Before he could charge in with his Glock and ruin the moment she shouted out to him, "It's okay, Sousuke, it's my family."

Kaname could hear his sigh of relief and she shook her head at him. Honestly, he could really overreact sometimes. He walked into the living room a few moments later, dirty and exhausted. "Sousuke!" she shouted and jumped off of the couch, running over to him.

He just smiled and waved off her concern. "I had to skip a shower and rest to get on the flight, Kaname, otherwise I would have had to wait until tomorrow night to return," he looked down at her expectant face and glanced nervously at her father before bending down to kiss her on the cheek. "I'm filthy. I'll give you a hug when I'm clean," he turned back to Shunya.

"It's nice to meet you sir, I hope you'll forgive me if I shower before greeting you properly?" He gave a small bow of apology, and turned to the bathroom when Shunya nodded approval.

Kaname clasped her hands behind her back and bit her bottom lip, rocking back on her heels nervously. "Well, Dad?"

"He seems polite enough. Why is he so dirty though, what was he doing?" His glance at the rifle case showed where his suspicions lay.

"He was probably helping his guardian with something. He always puts Sousuke to work when he goes to visit," it was more or less true. It was true enough that she didn't feel guilty saying it. "Oh, should I tell Ayame that it's okay to come out now?"

Shunya took off his glasses to grip the bridge of his nose. He sighed heavily and put them back on before turning to Kaname. "All right, tell the little imp she can get out here. I'm sure she'll be excited to meet Sousuke," his voice was dry and bitter at the end. Kaname grinned, guessing Ayame must be a handful, and was probably at the stage where she swooned over every cute actor and musician.

Kaname never had that phase, since when she was Ayame's age, their mother had died. Shunya had forgotten that young girls went through that in their pre- and early teen years. Normally the mother would be the one to lead the girl through it, but he was not yet ready to replace Shizu.

Ayame was happy that things seemed to be settled, and happier still to learn that Sousuke had returned. She sat on the ground in front of the couch, her back to the television set, and babbled on about random things to Kaname. Quick phone conversations when one of them was about to go to school and the other to bed had not been enough for the energetic girl. There were several times when Shunya coughed to interrupt the rambling, namely, the times Ayame described some cute boy at school, or asked Kaname about the cute boys at Jindai.

When Sousuke came out of the shower, dressed in one of the outfits Kaname had bought for him, he looked completely horrified by the young girl's incessant chatter. Kaname had never seen him afraid of anything, the fact that her twelve year old sister was the one to bring such fear to the soldier was so amusing that she laughed so hard she cried. Shunya sighed removed his glasses again, shaking his head. He gave Sousuke a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry. She's that age."

Ayame looked mollified, Sousuke went from horror to utter confusion, and Kaname began to laugh even harder, doubling over and gripping her sides. The younger girl turned a glare on her, though it was tame compared to the ones Kaname and Shunya could give. "I see. I never knew. The only experience with girls her age that I have is from my days in Afghanistan. As you might expect, Muslim law would not have allowed them to act in such a manner."

Shunya raised a brow, his interest piqued. "Afghanistan?"

"Yes, I lived there from the time I was eight until I was twelve, serving as a guerrilla fighter against the Russian forces," he glanced over to Kaname quickly, hoping nothing she had said would contradict with this. She just gave him a small smile and shrugged. She had already let it slip that Sousuke had not had a normal life. As long as he did not mention anything about her being a Whispered, she didn't mind, since everything else was his to tell.

"A gorilla fighter?" Ayame asked, looking confused.

Sousuke shook his head, "A _guerrilla_ fighter," he spelled the word for her so she would know the difference. "Guerrilla war tactics were developed as a way for smaller forces to win against a far larger force. Many tactics include traps, ambushes, stealth, surprise, using the advantages of the terrain against the enemy.

"It is to attack in such a way that the advantage of numbers in completely invalidated, or to slowly pick off the enemy, small bit by bit. It can also be used as a deterrence method, if your comrades are falling one by one, you cannot help but think that you will be next. It could make you fear enough to retreat. It is a very effective method," it was Ayame's turn to be horrified, completely taken aback by the way he talked so casually about killing people in such manner.

"I take it, then, that you have killed before?" Shunya looked sternly at Sousuke, as though daring him to say he had not.

"Yes, of course. If I had refused, I would have been killed myself. I would have been a waste of precious resources," he spoke of the possibility of his death as though it were no big deal. Kaname shifted on the couch and patted the seat next to her, hoping Sousuke would relax. He had been standing at parade rest since he had first regained his composure. He nodded and walked forward, pausing in front of Shunya to offer his hand.

Shunya took it, not bothering to test him, not after hearing that story. Sousuke nodded to him then took his seat beside Kaname. Ayame picked at the carpet fibers, trying to sort through her impression of Sousuke so far. Shunya, for his part, had been surprised, but decided to let it pass. It was not his place to judge how one was raised in a different country, and Kaname _had_ said he did not use lethal rounds. Just because he had killed in the past did not mean he was a killer now. He hoped.

With a dramatic sigh, Kaname threw herself against the back of the couch, making a great show of relaxing. She flipped on the television and clicked through the stations to reach one with a game show. "I bet you miss these, right Ayame? The ones in America just aren't as good!"

Ayame glanced up at her sister, watching as she grabbed Sousuke's arm and laid it across her shoulders so she could snuggle against him. He smiled tenderly at her and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. It was certainly not the way she would expect a killer to act, and she wondered just what it meant. She decided not to worry about it, she trusted Kaname to know what she was getting into, and their father seemed unconcerned. Instead, she hopped up and squeezed in between Shunya and Kaname to watch the show.

Kaname and Sousuke whispered things to each other, and she wished the television was just a little quieter so she could hear them. Although, she could make out their tone over the noise, and realized they certainly were not whispering 'sweet nothings' to each other. That fact was confirmed when Sousuke quickly pulled back with a nervous expression, sweating bullets, and Kaname elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a fierce glare.

"Idiot! Why do I even bother?! Honestly, you have no common sense, none, you're an idiot! Moron! Blockhead! What is your problem?!" Now, Ayame was amused. This could prove to be quite entertaining. Shunya sighed and shook his head, looking almost pained.

"Uh, but Kaname, I thought-"

"No you didn't! That's the problem, you _don't _think! Dummy," she crossed her arms and looked away.

Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her with concern. He glanced away, and then looked back at her with a determined expression. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear that caused her to relax and drop her arms. She looked down at her feet, her face pink now, and then she looked at him apologetically. Finally, she sniffed loudly, raising her chin defiantly. "Well, fine, then. I _guess_ I can forgive you. This once."

He smiled at her, "Yes, Kaname. This once. Thank you."

She glared at him and elbowed him gently before reassuming her earlier position. "Just don't let it get to your head, mister."

"Roger."

"Dummy."

Ayame was _definitely_ amused.

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry for the Japanese I've been using, with the suffixes and all, and you'll have to bear with one more. For those who don't know, the Japanese will typically call their older sibling by one of the words for older brother or older sister, the older sibling calling the younger one by name.**

**In this case, I'm having Ayame call Kaname "Kana-nee," because it sounds cute, 'me' and 'ne' are close in sound, and nee (or onee, the o adds some more reverence to the word) means older sister.**

**I haven't read Owaru Day by Day in the original Japanese, though I have read Sigma and I did note that Ayame just calls her onee-chan. Kana-nee is cuter though. So I'm using it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Last scene contains citrus content towards the end, once again I state, skip if you no likey. ^_^ Enjoy.**

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Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Eight**

Ayame leaned against her sister on the couch, idly flipping through the stations. Kaname had a book on her lap and was trying to read it, but she kept getting distracted. Finally, she gave up and closed the book, placing it on the ground by her feet. She sighed and stretched, then turned to look at her sister. "Hey, Ayame? How long are you and Dad here for, anyways?"

"You mean Daddy never told you?" Ayame was surprised by the question, and was staring at her sister in shock.

Kaname shook her head slowly, "No? Told me what?"

"We're moving back! We've actually been looking at houses while you're at school. Don't worry, though. Daddy said you can keep living on your own here, once he saw how much Sousuke was paying towards your rent," she wondered why Shunya had never told Kaname, but decided not to worry about it. He never said that she couldn't. He was probably planning on making a big deal of it later and would fight on the issue just to see what her big sister could come up with in defense.

"Oh. That makes sense, entrance ceremonies are six weeks away, and you're the right age to start junior high," Kaname looked thoughtful. She was wondering the same thing as Ayame. Why had Shunya not told her? Perhaps he had been considering what to do about her once he found out about Sousuke, and it had just taken time? "What school are you going to?"

"Musashino, I didn't really get to choose, I just had to find a school close to Chofu," she sighed and glared down at her feet.

Kaname hugged her close, "Cheer up, Ayame. I know it's rough. Just try not to speak your mind like the Americans, and you should be fine. You're nice and friendly and cute, you'll make friends, promise!"

She smiled up at her older sister and hugged her. "Yeah, I know. I'm just afraid everyone will call me 'gaijin' and hate me, like what happened to you."

Nodding, she squeezed the younger girl tight, "If it does, you come to me, okay? I went through it, so if anyone will understand you, it's me, right?"

"Right!"

They sat like that on the couch for awhile, Kaname breaking the silence only to voice one concern. "I hope Sousuke hasn't broken Dad."

The sisters shuddered in fear.

* * *

Shunya sighed and glanced over at Sousuke, who was walking in his usual straight-backed serious manner, taking everything in. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, something he had found himself doing often since returning to Tokyo. "You're telling me there's a firing range in the middle of Tokyo?"

"Yes sir. Of course, it is disguised as a building of a different sort, and only people with certain affiliations will ever hear of it being there," he spoke crisp and clear, as though reporting to one of his superior officers. Shunya found the boy's stoicism almost unnerving, but Kaname had assured him it was his way of dealing with anyone he viewed as an authority figure.

He shook his head again, "What kind of affiliations?"

"The man who brought me to this place was formerly a first lieutenant of the Imperial Navy. He will be meeting us there today," Sousuke glanced at him to see if what he said sparked some recognition in Shunya. There was none. Very well, it would be a surprise then.

Shujiro had called Kaname the day after her family had shown up, and asked how it went. The biggest hurdle was Shunya not accepting the firearms. They had explained that Sousuke had spent his entire life with them, knew all the safety protocols, and was an excellent shot. They continued on saying that Sousuke had never shot anyone that he had not meant to shoot, and that he did know when to use lethal fire and when not to.

He was still skeptical, though, of course, so Shujiro offered this as an idea. It would give Shunya the chance to see Sousuke's skill with a weapon, and while under the careful eye of a military man. Shunya and Shujiro may not get along, but he would not be able to refute the old man's expert opinion. They would also make sure Shunya got some time with the weapons, so that he could understand the difficulty and hopefully have greater respect for the skill Sousuke possessed.

"Here we are," Sousuke turned into a small looking café that seemed to cater mainly to the older generation. That was simply because of its alternate business and that most retired soldiers that might miss their days of action were older.

"Sagara! Over here," Shujiro sat at a table in the corner with a few of his fellow retired solders. Shunya choked when he saw who it was, squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them as though the man's identity would change from that simple gesture.

Sousuke obediently walked over to the table and saluted the men respectfully. "Good afternoon, sir. How are you?"

"Well enough, boy, sit down," he turned to look past Sousuke and waved his hand impatiently, "you too, Chidori! Get over here." Shunya found himself rushing to follow by the simple command in the man's voice. They had not gotten along before, but Shizu had always spoken well of her father, so he had to give the man at least some chance before judging him.

His entire world was swiftly changing, though, since deciding to return to Japan. First he finds his older daughter living with her boyfriend. Then he discovers that said boyfriend has been killing people since he was an age Shunya never would have let his daughters out his sight. Now he finds that the same young man is good friends with his late wife's father.

"How is Kaname doing, Sagara?" The question was another shock to Shunya. Shujiro seemed to know about Sousuke and Kaname's relationship. And if he was relaxing like this, it could only mean he approved!

"She is doing well, sir. Kaname is a little sad about the upcoming school year, since her friends will be too busy studying to have much fun, but she is trying to find other things to do so she will not be so lonely," even though he was speaking the same way with Shujiro as Shunya, there was a notable degree of warmth now that was not there when talking to Kaname's father.

Shujiro nodded, "Yes, she is a very smart girl, isn't she? No need for extra study sessions and cram schools. What of you, though, Sagara?"

"I intend on joining the JSDF after graduating," this was the lie he was using. It kept his teachers off of him for his grades, though in some ways it made them sterner with his attendance, saying that the military would certainly frown on that.

As if he did not know.

The men at the table laughed and clapped his back, raising their glasses of tea and coffee in cheer. They had seen him shoot, they knew he kept in very good shape, and so they all figured he would be an asset to the military. They had fierce pride in their nation, too, so any young man willing to go into the service was a good man to them.

Shunya looked at him with a raised brow, "You want to go into the military after your life? Haven't you had enough of war?"

Sousuke just shrugged, "It is what I know. It is what I am good at. My academics are poor, despite my best efforts. Why should I pretend to be something I am not?" He sipped an ice water that Shujiro had ordered before their arrival. The way he spoke completely casually about the situation, made Shunya feel somehow sorry for him. Did the boy truly have no greater hopes for himself?

"Well! Enough of this idle chatter, men, we came here to do something, did we not?" Shujiro led the group to a back room, disguised as a quiet room that patrons could rent out. Once there, a second door was opened, and they descended the steps to a basement. The place was large, and the sound proofing was extensive. There was a special air filtration system as well, to keep the air clean without letting the noise out.

Shunya felt distinctly out of place there. The old war veterans joked around with each other and Sousuke in ways they could not even apply to him. It was odd that he was between these two generations, yet could not find himself relating to either one.

Although, when Sousuke and the others began pulling out an assortment of weapons that they could not have possibly been hiding on their persons, Shunya decided that not being able to relate was a definite good thing.

* * *

Kaname hummed happily as she stirred the contents of the frying pan in front of her. Ayame stood beside her, peering in while trying to learn how to cook. Each time Kaname did something, she explained what it was and why it was done the way it was to her sister. She had found out that the girl had never been taught to cook and that their father had not improved much at all.

It was her duty, in place of their mother, to teach Ayame to cook. Never mind that Japanese home economic classes taught cooking, it was Kaname's hobby, so the girl would learn different things from her than in school. Ayame was happily taking it all in and helping out with her sister directing her. The past week had been nearly heavenly, her sister's cooking an immense relief from their father's.

The front door opened and Shunya raced by the kitchen to the bathroom, the shower turning on immediately. The girls stared at the doorway, wondering just what that had been all about. Sousuke calmly walked in, some dirt on his clothes and face, but they saw nothing that should have had their father running like that. "Sousuke?" Kaname handed her spoon to Ayame and walked up to him.

He saw the question in her eyes and shrugged. "When we finished at the range, one of Komura's friends suggested we go play paintball at an outdoor facility. Your father never stood a chance," he leaned down and gave her the kiss he knew she would be demanding soon. "I did try to help, we were on the same team. He would make a terrible sniper."

Kaname laughed, shaking her head as she imagined her father in a ghillie suit like the one Sousuke wore when Ena Saeki sent him a love letter. It was just a little far-fetched, but at least now she had an idea why her somewhat uptight father had been in a rush to be clean. "What did you suggest he do, Sousuke?"

"I had him lie in the brush and aim his rifle without moving from his spot. I was the lure to bring our opponents into his sights. No matter how much I told him not to move the rifle, and to let them move into the line of fire, he did not have the necessary patience. He alerted them to his position early on and was taken out," the way Sousuke described it made it sound like it was a real battle.

"My poor father."

"It is a valid strategy, Kaname. In fact, it is the one that Kalinin and I implemented against Gauron, although today I played the role that he had in the Panjshir Valley."

She patted his arm and smiled up at him. "I'm sure, Sousuke. I just meant that my dad is not made for that stuff, he was probably miserable," she giggled as she spoke, trying to be sympathetic for him but finding the situation humorous all the same.

Sousuke nodded solemnly, "Yes, I had noted he was not cut out for it. A sour mood would also explain his lack of patience."

Shunya came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and scowled as he made his way to the spare room he was in. Kaname heard the timer and turned to take care of dinner, showing Ayame the next steps. Sousuke leaned against the doorframe and watched, something about the way Kaname gently walked the younger girl through how to cook stirring something in him that he could not name.

A few minutes later, Shunya came back out and stood beside him, looking at him curiously. Kaname turned around when she heard her father come up and she smiled at him. She was about to say something, but when she looked at Sousuke she paused, blushed bright red, and nervously turned to Ayame and spoke the directions in an unnaturally loud voice.

Sousuke smiled softly and moved from his spot. He nodded politely to Shunya before turning to take a shower of his own. When he came out cleaned and changed, the girls were setting dinner out on the table. Kaname looked at him shyly, wondering what had been with his odd mood earlier, and motioned for him to take his seat. Shunya was already seated.

Dinner started calmly enough, but when Ayame mischievously asked her father how his day had been that quickly changed. He growled and turned his glare on Sousuke, who had the seeming nerve to continue eating as though nothing had happened, his conditioning from Kaname making him nearly immune. "I was made to hide in bushes, twigs, leaves, and snow for two whole hours as part of a game!"

Kaname choked on her food, "Two hours? Sousuke, you didn't tell me that part!"

He blinked slowly, wondering what the problem was. "Two hours is not a long time. I do not understand the issue."

She burrowed her face in her hands, Ayame tried to stifle giggles, and Shunya hoped his glare would have some effect sometime soon. "It was a game. I don't get why you had me do such a ridiculous thing!"

"It was a military simulation game. You were the only person of all of us with no military experience, so I gave you what should have been the safest task. It was a strategically sound decision," Sousuke seemed to be a little offended, being taken to task for something he excelled at.

"It was still a game!"

"I do not like to lose."

Kaname and Ayame dissolved into a fit of giggles at the spat. The argument was all but inane and was going nowhere fast. The two could go on forever and all that would come from them would be that it was just a game, but it was a game of a specific type requiring specific methods.

Shunya tried to ward off another headache while Sousuke at least had the grace to look sheepish. "Well! Let's just have you boys agree to disagree, since you both obviously view the situation differently," Kaname stood up and yanked at both men's arms to slap their hands together as her way of telling them to shake and make-up.

"The day my daughter calls me a boy…," he heaved a great sigh and then grinned ruefully at Sousuke, who was returning the expression. They shook hands to please Kaname and then sat back in their chairs to resume dinner. "By the way, Kaname, I mentioned this to Sousuke but I believe I had forgotten to tell you. Your sister and I are moving back, this is not just a visit."

Kaname nodded and smiled, "Ayame told me."

"Very good. As long as you keep up your grades and Sousuke continues to pay your rent, I will allow you to remain here with him," he turned a stern expression on the couple. "I am putting faith in your senses of responsibility, and I trust that you will take all proper precautions with each other?"

The two flushed red and looked down at their plates in embarrassment. Slowly, they lifted their gazes to meet each others, turned even brighter, and quickly glanced away. After several moments more of awkward glances, they realized that Shunya was still giving them that look. They both swallowed past lumps in their throats and nodded. "Yes sir," "Of course, Dad," they said at once.

Satisfied, Shunya nodded and began eating again. "Hey Daddy, when I get a boyfriend can I-."

"No."

"Aw, but Daddy!"

"No. Not a chance. Never. Don't even think of it."

Ayame pouted and crossed her arms over her chest and huffed the way she saw Kaname do. "That's not fair! You didn't even let me ask my question."

"That's because you mentioned boyfriend. There are no questions where boyfriends are concerned for you, because there will be no boyfriends. Not for a long time," Shunya turned his glare on his youngest now.

Kaname and Sousuke both relaxed the moment Shunya's attention was completely stolen away from them. They smiled shyly at each other and finished off their meals while the other two continued to argue. It was as pointless an argument as the one between Sousuke and Shunya a few minutes earlier.

The two snuck out of the kitchen while Shunya and Ayame kept at it. They stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy some quiet and privacy, as it certainly was not the view that drove them out there. Sousuke quickly wrapped her up in his arms before she could start shivering in the cold. He nuzzled her neck and planted a soft kiss where her neck met her shoulder line.

Kaname leaned back against him, letting him support all of her weight. She watched her breath on the air thoughtfully, "Sousuke?"

"Hm?" He sounded almost sleepy, the sound just a small vibration against her skin.

She paused, wondering just which thought it was that she wanted to voice, having a couple on her mind. She decided on the one that sounded safer, not sure if she was ready to talk about the other one just yet. "Dad said you were paying the rent. Not _part of_ the rent."

Sousuke was silent for a few moments, the slight tightening of his grip the only clue that he had heard her. Just as she was losing her patience, he spoke up. "We had a conversation about it. Moving expenses and the cost of living in Japan, particularly Tokyo, being so much higher than America, he would not have much extra money. You would have had to move in with him no matter what his opinion on us, he would not be able to afford it.

"The money is no problem for me. I am paid very well and have meager needs. I know how much you value your independence," he paused, and considered his next words. "Even if you were to decide you wanted to go back to living alone, I would continue to pay your living expenses in your father's stead."

Kaname stayed quiet for a long while, taking in his words. Finally, she let out a breath she had not realized she was holding and nodded slowly. "Thank you, Sousuke," the words were quiet, barely even a whisper, but he heard her all the same.

He pulled a small ways back to turn her in his arms. He cupped her face gently in his hands and leaned down for a long, tender kiss. When he finally pulled away, breathless, he had to grip her elbows to steady her. She had gone completely weak in the knees and had a hard time standing on her own.

The door slid open behind them and Ayame stuck her head out. "Aw, you guys are no fun. I was hoping you were up to no good out here," she pouted.

Kaname sighed and looked up at Sousuke who just shrugged. She turned back to her little sister, "What is it, Ayame?"

"Oh, I needed to steal Sousuke for dishes."

"I'll be right there," Sousuke's voice was quiet and low pitched. Ayame blinked in surprised, then just nodded and went back inside, closing the door. Kaname raised her brow at him, wondering what that was. For his part, he just hugged her tight against him, "Is it bad that I find myself excited they'll be out of the apartment soon, when it has only been a week?"

She giggled and tilted her head up, stretching to kiss him on the corner of the mouth. "Not at all. I miss the privacy we used to have," she turned slightly pink and glanced away.

Smiling, he leaned down for another gentle kiss, though shorter than the last one. "I better go back before Chidori comes looking for us," it was still odd to the both of them for Sousuke to be calling her father 'Chidori.' There had been several times where Kaname answered out of habit. She nodded reluctantly and followed him back inside.

While Sousuke and Shunya tackled the dishes, Kaname yawned and announced she would be going to bed early. Sousuke agreed, citing a tiring day much to Shunya's aggravation. Ayame just spent her time watching music shows on the television, trying to find out which pop stars were popular so she wouldn't be completely alienated when she started at school.

* * *

School entrance ceremonies were only two weeks away now. Shunya and Ayame had moved into a house in Musashino, to be closer to Ayame's school, and Kaname was reveling in the emptiness of her apartment. Five weeks had been far more than she ever wanted to handle, and felt her gratitude to Sousuke for paying the rent return full force.

Kaname and Sousuke were lying down on the bed, door to the bedroom open and shirtless, taking complete advantage of their regained freedom. For the moment, they just held each other, trying to keep their baser instincts at bay for a time. "Hey, Sousuke?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll be in the same class this year?"

"You and I? Of course. The school is paid well to assure we stick together," he rolled onto his side and rested his hand on her flat stomach, rubbing her lightly. His calluses tickled her skin and she squirmed under his gentle teasing.

She rested her hand on his to stop him, trying to glare at him but failing. "Oh. I should have known. I wonder if we'll be with the others, you know, Kyouko, Ono-D, and them?"

Sousuke shrugged and took his hand off her belly, shifting onto his back and propping his head up with his arms. "I don't know. Don't they try to keep the classes mostly the same, anyways?"

"Yeah. You're right," she sighed and snuggled against him. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, anyways. It's third year so our free times will be cut short and most of our classmates will study during them. You and I are the only ones not really concerned about the tests."

He nodded, turning his head to the side so he could burrow his face in her hair. She smiled at his actions and pressed herself closer to him. "What are you going to do when I'm in college, Sousuke?" He winced and she could feel his whole body tense when she asked that question.

"Uh, well, Mithril will probably buy my way into whatever school you choose," he waited for the expected abuse. Instead, she just sighed, her breath tickling his chest.

"I kind of figured," she answered the unspoken question. "I just had hoped that maybe you were hoping for better for yourself, Sousuke."

He freed one of his hands and combed it through her hair. The cool silky feeling against his skin always helped to calm him. "I know," he spoke softly, "but all I really want is to be by your side. I don't care what I have to do to accomplish that."

What could she say to that? Instead of depressing them further, especially when they had finally gotten their much needed alone time, she decided to reward him. He could be so sweet without even realizing it, just by speaking the truth, plain and simple. Kaname rolled onto her back and reached over to him. When she scored his chest with her pink nails, he knew what she was asking for.

Sousuke moved to pin her down with his body, shifting his knee between her thighs in a way he knew drove her crazy. It had been awhile since they had given in to any of their desires, too afraid of what might happen with Kaname's family in earshot and able to walk in at any notice. Now, though, their pent up passion could be eased. And there was a lot of ardor to soothe.

He captured her mouth with his and nipped her lip when she did not immediately let his tongue in. She scratched his back rougher than usual and he moaned in her mouth, pressing his knee harder against her. The jolt of electricity that action sent through her body made her arch into him, and he quickly grabbed her hip to keep her against him.

Sousuke trailed kisses down her throat while slowly pressing their lower bodies back down on the bed. Once satisfied with their position, he ground his hips against hers and she cried out at the pleasure. She nearly screamed when he pinched a taut nipple, and finally did, shouting his name when he latched onto the other breast and scraped his teeth against the sensitive tip.

Her satisfied sounds making him bold, he reached down to unbutton her skirt. He kept it slow, eyes locked on her while he continued his ministrations and slid her skirt off her legs, lifting them so he would not have to move too much. The smell of her arousal hit him hard, and he nearly tore his own pants off right at that moment. She looked down at him, cheeks tinged red but complete trust and acceptance in her eyes.

He swallowed thickly and nodded. Sousuke bent his body so he could trail gentle kisses down her abdomen. He spared a moment to slip his tongue into her bellybutton curiously. When she bucked her hips and pressed on the top of his head with her hands, he decided he would not be doing that again. He paused when he reached the top of her panty line, and cautiously began removing her dainty pick underwear.

When Mao had mentioned something about using his mouth there, he had been completely embarrassed and a little unsure. Now, looking down at Kaname's naked body, seeing her wet and aroused, _for him_, and smelling that intoxicating scent, well, now he was determined to find out exactly what Mao had meant. He spared one more glance at Kaname's face to be sure it was all right, and then he tentatively began.

He leaned in and trailed the tip of his tongue along center and she moaned loudly. He shifted his grip to be more comfortable, slinging her legs over his shoulders and pulling her up to his face. She was going to protest the rough treatment, but a tongue teasing her sensitive clit convinced her everything was all right. She bit the back of her hand to hold back another scream, her other hand tangled in his hair to keep him where he was.

Sousuke tried not to grin, but it was hard. He was feeling quite self-satisfied. Kaname was making the most delicious noises in response to his action, mewling, moaning and groaning. She kept arching her back into him, desperate to intensify the contact in any way possible. She was a completely mindless puddle of pleasure, and it made him feel good. He decided to try to help her out, and freed one of his hands.

Remembering Mao's constant reminders about dry things, he risked pulling away from her long enough to stick his fingers in his mouth and get them wet. He bent down to kiss the bud of nerves as he pressed one finger against her entrance. She thrust her hips up and cried out when his finger buried itself in her. He carefully twisted it around and she moaned long and low when he brushed against a particularly sensitive spot.

"More," she panted, not sure exactly what she was asking for, and she squirmed, trying to get more from his finger than was possible. "Please, please Sousuke, more, please," she was rewarded with another finger slowly finding its way in and she gasped. "Yes, please, Sousuke," his name came out as a long pleading groan that made him strain against his pants painfully.

He scissored his fingers and twisted his hand, relishing every single sound he wrung from her. When she grew more insistent he slowly inserted a third finger. She let out a satisfied sigh when it found its way in, and moaned when they moved, thrusting in a gentle rhythm. Sousuke gently nipped at her clit and she came with a scream, tightening on his fingers and flooding his hand with moisture. The sight of her amazing body shaking with pleasure, the feel of her on his fingers and the scent and taste of her was enough to drive him over the edge.

They lay panting for several minutes before either of them could even begin to think. Sousuke lifted himself and grimaced at the stickiness in his pants. He leaned up and kissed Kaname on the cheek and rolled off the bed. "I, uh, have to clean up," he blushed and retreated to the bathroom.

When he came back, she was still naked, but now she was on her stomach, propped up on her elbows and watching him. She looked at him shyly, "Uh, Sousuke? What about you?"

"Wh-what about me?"

She looked away from him and fidgeted. Sousuke felt himself hardening again, Kaname rubbing her naked thighs together making for all too erotic of a sight. "Well, I thought, that is, I heard that it can be, uh, painful, for guys."

He gulped and stepped over to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's all right. I, uh, I'm all right," that was when she noticed he had changed pants when he left the room. Getting the hint, her face turned completely red and she coughed nervously.

"Oh, well, uh, in that case, I'm going to shower," she pushed her way off the bed. While she was in the shower, Sousuke idly wondered if he should change the sheets.

* * *

**AN: Well, that was fun. I hope I'm not too evil for ending the chapter that way. XD I debated actually writing the range and paintball scenes, but decided they were more amusing this way, and that I would not be able to do the actual events particularly well. Please don't think less of me for not having the inspiration to do them justice in entirety.**

**I hope I have found the right balance of referring to characters by names and by descriptions. Writing scenes with even more than two characters has always been something I've struggled with. I also find I have to apologize for my abuse of ellipses and adverbs. I'm trying. ^_^**

**Thank you to all you wonderful reviewers, you let me know I'm doing something right at least, hah. And I'm glad that my mixing the anime, novels, and manga is going over well, I had worried if it would be bad, mixing several slightly varying storylines.**

**In short, thank you all. I've had the most fun writing this story of anything I've ever written in the past, so I'm glad it's doing well.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Last scene is a lemon. You know the drill. ^_~**

**

* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Nine**

Sousuke peered into the kitchen, where Kaname had been busy at work for the past several hours. Every time he had tried to talk to her or get something to eat, he had been shooed out in a hurry. "Kaname, just what exactly are you doing?" He was at a loss, none of it made sense, and she had made no move to explain.

She seemed to finally be finished, though, as she placed the last packed bento into the refrigerator. She stood up and wiped her brow with her forearm, then turned a bright smile on him. "Thanks for being patient, Sousuke," he had to fight not to scowl at that, since he really hadn't been given a choice. "Tomorrow is hanami, so I was making lunches."

"Hanami? What's that?" He looked at her confused, and instinctively stepped back when she clenched her hands into fists. "Kaname?"

"Are you even Japanese?! How do you not know what hanami is?" Kaname huffed, but when she saw his pained expression she felt her anger wilt. "Oh, never mind," she sighed and walked over to him. "Hanami is when you view the cherry blossoms fall with friends and family. We're meeting Dad and Ayame at Inokashira Park tomorrow morning, and Kyouko and the others will meet up with us later."

She placed her hand on his arm gently and leaned into him. "It's the last day that we'll have to really be together, since school starts next week and everyone will be busy. I thought you knew about hanami, or I would have said something sooner," she leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry."

Sousuke wrapped his arms around her and held her close, "It's all right. I really should know this stuff by now," he sighed, his breath tickling her ear and making her shiver.

"No wonder you were so confused," her voice was muffled by his chest, making him smile. He tightened his grip for a moment before letting her go. Then, he turned his best attempt at a pleading expression on her.

"Will you feed me now?"

Kaname laughed. She doubled over and gripped her stomach, laughing so hard it hurt. Sousuke had to put a hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't fall over. It was far too much, coming from him it made for the funniest thing she had ever seen. "Oh, Sousuke," she tried to speak, but she was still gasping for air and chuckling.

He grinned, shifting his grip to her elbow and helping her straighten up as she wiped tears from her eyes. Joking around felt good and really made him feel like he was making progress. Kaname walked back into the kitchen, swaying her hips and giving him a sly grin over her shoulder that had him following her without thinking.

"Have I been spoiling you so much you can't take care of yourself for a few hours, Sergeant?" She spun around to face him and stuck a finger in his chest, smirking, "You're like a lost little puppy dog."

Sousuke halted when she spun and looked offended at her words. "I am not a dog, Kaname," he looked down thoughtfully for a moment, then looked back up and spoke. "Although according to some of our classmates, you are. Do you-"

"Shut up!" She smacked him over the head. "I can't believe you would say that, Sousuke!" She stomped past him, "Feed yourself and sleep on the couch tonight," she growled and slammed the door to the bedroom shut behind her.

He stood there, confused for a few moments. He scratched his scar and then slowly approached the bedroom, standing in front of the door for several minutes before knocking. "Kaname?" Silence. "Kaname, please." More silence.

He pressed his head against the door and leaned against it for a few minutes more. Since they had been going out, he had managed not to anger her to the point where she ignored him. Now, he was at a complete loss of how to handle the situation. He growled at himself and banged his head against the door several times before the door flew open and he stumbled forward.

Sousuke managed not to fall on Kaname, but it was a close thing. She stood there with her hands on her hips, furious. "Finish your sentence."

"Huh?" he scratched the scar on his face, confused. "Sentence, what?"

"What you were saying, in the kitchen. Finish it. Your life depends on it," she glared at him, her point quite clear.

"Uh, well, that's just," he stopped himself and took a deep breath. "I was going to ask if you also found offense to being called a dog, I was just trying to make a point, I didn't mean to imply that I thought you were one."

She rubbed the back of her head furiously then sighed and slumped in defeat. "Sousuke, honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

"Kaname?"

Kaname growled and looked at up at him, squaring her shoulders and pointing at him, "Now you listen here. Do you know what a bitch is?" She knew exactly what some of their classmates thought of her.

He pulled back in surprise, then nodded, "A female dog."

"There's also several slang definitions, Sousuke, and none of them are pleasant," she watched him, hoping he understood. He looked at his feet then back up at her and nodded.

"I see, that makes sense, I had always wondered why people would call others that."

She shook her head and crossed the distance between them to wrap her arms around him, "Dummy."

Sousuke held her and breathed a sigh of relief, whispering in her ear, "Affirmative."

* * *

"Aaaah~! So pretty," Kaname dropped her bag on the tarp her family had laid out and ran to the edge of the lake. The cherry blossoms were hanging delicately over the water and the sun illuminated the reflections perfectly. She held her hair out of her face and giggled softly, taking in the sight.

Sousuke placed the other bags down carefully and watched her. He did not understand why the viewing of the trees in bloom was such a big deal, but seeing Kaname take such pleasure in it made him feel at peace. She turned a smile on him and waved him over. He walked over to her and smiled when she leaned against him, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Sousuke, we should rent a boat out on the lake, don't you think?"

"If that is what you'd like," he paused and looked back, "perhaps we should actually greet your family first, though."

She grinned, "Yeah, you're right, honestly Sousuke, what were you thinking, walking past them like that," she laughed and tugged on his arm, pulling him to the tarp. "Hi Dad, Ayame!"

Shunya shook his head and pushed his glasses up on his nose, "Nice of you to say hello, Kaname."

"Kana-nee, Sousuke, don't you think we found a good spot?" Ayame beamed proudly, "I'm the one that found it, isn't it great?"

Kaname tousled her hair, "It's a wonderful spot kiddo, good job!"

Sousuke settled down between Kaname and Shunya, the four of them sitting in a small circle on the tarp. Ayame started chattering away, so he turned to Shunya with a short shake of his head, "How are you, sir?"

"Tired. I've been working my job all day and unpacking all night every day this week. This is my first day off, since I've had to settle so many details at work," Shunya sighed and rubbed his temples. "Sorry, I don't mean to complain."

"I asked," Sousuke shrugged, "there's nothing wrong with an honest answer."

Kaname jumped to her feet quickly, startling the guys, "Hey, Dad, you don't mind if Sousuke and I go rent one of the boats, do you?"

"Go ahead," he flapped his hand tiredly. "I'll take a nap here, and hopefully the imp will keep out of trouble," Ayame stuck her tongue at him.

Grinning, Kaname grabbed Sousuke's arm and tugged on him, "We won't be too long!"

A while later the two were sitting in one of the boats on the lake, enjoying the early spring breeze. Kaname smiled at Sousuke as he lifted the oars out of the water and set them to rest. "What do you think of hanami so far?"

"This is enjoyable. Very relaxing and peaceful, and the scenery is quite nice," he looked on as Kaname nodded in agreement and moved to dip her hand into the water. She trailed idle patterns along the surface, her expression one of pure contentment. He was happy just to watch her.

Kaname knelt on the bottom of the boat, resting her chin in the hand of the arm she was using to hold herself up on the edge. "Hey, Sousuke?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever think about the future?"

He leaned back and looked around thoughtfully. "I never used to," he took in a deep breath and looked at her seriously, "but I have been recently."

She stood up slowly, trying to rock the boat as little as possible, and moved to sit next to him. The bow lifted slightly, making Sousuke concerned for a few moments before it settled. "What do you want from life, Sousuke?"

"To be with you," he wrapped his arm around her. "I want to be able to find work that won't take me from you constantly, and won't put me in danger of… leaving you. I want to settle enough into civilian life that I would feel comfortable having a family, with you. I," he paused and looked down at his feet worriedly, "I don't know if I'm a good person to be a father, but I want to try."

Kaname kissed his cheek and smiled softly, "Thank you. I was hoping you would say something like that," she giggled and hugged his arm close. "As long as you don't try to teach our kids about bombs and guns and stuff, I think you'd make a great dad, Sousuke."

He stared at her for several long moments before nodding slowly. "Thank you," his voice was low and choked with emotion. At the same time, they shifted, leaning into each other for a tender kiss. Sousuke lifted his arm to tangle his hand into her hair, gripping the back of her head gently. They wrapped their arms around each other and he leaned in, pushing her back gently.

Right into the water.

The boat tipped over, dumping them into the lake unceremoniously. People that saw laughed. Kaname growled. "So-u-su-ke-!"

"Uh, Kaname?" he swam back slowly, trying to maneuver his way to the other side of the boat. She saw what he was doing and swam over to him quickly, grabbing his arm and tugging him. "Kaname, wait!"

"You idiot!" she pushed down on his shoulders, dunking him under the water. The two struggled like that for a few minutes before she finally allowed him to flip the boat back over. When they returned the boat, they got some chuckles, and, luckily, some towels to dry themselves off with.

Kaname plopped herself down on the tarp beside her sister and turned a grumpy glare on Sousuke when he sat across from her. Shunya raised a brow at the two, "What happened to the boat?" Sousuke flinched and Kaname huffed. "I see."

Ayame snickered, "Aw, a romantic moment gone sour, Kana-nee?"

"Humph!" Kaname crossed her arms and looked away while Sousuke blushed and glanced down at the grass beside him. He sighed and peeked up at Kaname with an apologetic expression. "Idiot," that made his shoulders sag and he shifted uncomfortably.

Finally, he stood up, "I'm going to walk around for a while," he spared one more glance at Kaname before walking off.

Ayame watched him leave, and then turned to her sister, "Hey, Kana-nee, why don't you just forgive him already? I doubt he meant to dump you guys in the water"

"No," Kaname growled, then let her arms hang limply and she sighed. "No, of course he didn't. The idiot just has a fantastic ability to ruin the mood. I'll forgive him when he gets back."

Ayame stared at her for a while then shrugged, "Okay! Hey, I'm hungry, let's eat!"

"Whatever, go ahead. I'll wait for Sousuke to get back," Kaname handed her sister the bag with the bento and turned to look out on the lake. She hugged her knees to her chest and muttered under her breath, "Idiot."

For once, she was not referring to Sousuke.

* * *

When Sousuke had returned he was surprised to be greeted with a hug and kiss. Kaname had apologized for trying to drown him and practically force fed him after dragging him to the ground. Ayame grinned and poked fun at them while Shunya tried to ward off another headache while complaining about kids having too much energy.

Early in the afternoon, Shunya dragged Ayame back home, leaving Sousuke and Kaname alone. The two lay on their backs, staring up into the branches that hung over them. Kaname drifted to sleep using Sousuke as a pillow.

He stroked the top of her head while she napped, enjoying the moment. A few hours later Kyouko, Onodera, Shinji, and Mizuki showed up, bearing boxes full of snacks. None of their other friends had been able to make it, having stayed later with their own families instead.

Kaname stretched and yawned, grinning up at the group. "Hey guys! It's been awhile, huh?"

They laughed and sat down, passing out food and drink. "Yeah, cram school is hell," Mizuki complained, "It's no fair that you two have so much free time."

"Yeah, when did you get so good at school, anyway, Chidori? You used to be average, like the rest of us," Onodera unknowingly put the couple on alert, making them tense up nervously. "And Sagara, you're in no position to be slacking off so much, why aren't you going to cram school?"

Mizuki smirked slyly, "Mm, maybe Kaname is helping him with that. Studying and _cramming_," she snickered.

Kaname turned bright red, "Mizuki!"

"Inaba," Sousuke spoke warningly, glaring at the girl. Everyone else just laughed at the joke.

"What, you can't really expect us to believe you aren't having sex. You've been going out for two months now," Mizuki grumbled, not liking the look Sousuke had turned on her.

Kaname crossed her arms over her chest, "Not everyone is as shallow as you, Mizuki!"

"What?!"

"Cat fight! Yes!"

"Ah, come on guys, calm down."

Sousuke roughly grabbed Mizuki by the arm when she lunged at Kaname and forced her on the ground. He showed restraint when he did not draw his gun, but the look he gave her made her more afraid than staring down the barrel would have. "Do not. Attack. Kaname," he growled and released her, settling down beside his girlfriend. Mizuki whimpered and moved to the far end, away from the two.

"Sousuke, I know you're just protecting me, but there's no reason to be so rough," Kaname lightly hit him over the head. "Idiot, you scared her half to death," she sniffed indignantly, "and besides, I could have taken her."

He sighed and nodded, relaxing his shoulders slightly. He looked up at Mizuki, "Inaba, I apologize for being rough. But do not attack Kaname again, understand?"

"Like hell I would now," she trembled and cradled the arm he had handled. During the whole exchange, Kyouko watched Sousuke carefully. She remembered what Kaname had said, that he had killed in the past. Now, seeing the way he handled things in a new light, and seeing that expression on his face, she wondered how no one had ever guessed it.

Onodera laughed nervously and moved his hands in a placating gesture. "All right, hah, all right, hey, let's just have some snacks, huh?"

After that, the group relaxed and fell into their usual teasing and laughter. There was an underlying tone of exhaustion, though, everyone feeling their long hours of endless study. These were the last days they had of freedom, the entrance ceremony was less than a week away and their third year would soon begin. They disbanded and went home only a couple hours after the sun had set.

* * *

"Yesterday was nice, wasn't it Sousuke?" Kaname and Sousuke were sitting up on the bed, Sousuke leaning against the wall with her settled between his legs, back snuggled tightly against his chest. She closed the book she had been reading, finally finishing it. He grabbed the book and dumped it on the nightstand, happy to have her attention.

Sousuke bent his head and nipped her neck gently, ignoring her question. She gasped and reached her arm up, twisting it so she could cradle the back of his head in her hand. "Sou-su-ke~," she moaned, leaning her head back to give him better access. He grinned against her throat and trailed down, alternating between kisses, licks, and bites.

He brought one hand up to cup a breast, and the other trailed down to rub between her legs. She whimpered at the contact and arched her back. Through the thin fabric of her shirt he pinched her nipple, making her squirm. Kaname grabbed the other arm and lifted the hand to her mouth. She sucked one of his fingers into her mouth, blushing at her own boldness as she swirled her tongue around the calloused fingertip.

Sousuke groaned, closing his eyes and gasping for breath. She gave the same treatment to two more fingers and then guided his hand back to where it had been. Ever obedient, he pulled her panties down her thighs and lifted her skirt to her hips. Then he slowly slipped the three fingers in, one at a time.

Kaname hissed in pleasure and rocked her hips against his hand. He lifted her shirt over her breasts and returned his attention to them with his free hand. She panted, her breath coming in swift gasps, and she squeezed her eyes shut. When the calloused joint of one thumb trailed against the sensitive peak of a nipple and the other against that bud of nerves she screamed.

Smirking at the sounds, Sousuke lifted his head to gently bite down on her earlobe. He tugged with his teeth and soothed with his tongue, then blew gently on the sensitive skin. Kaname shouted his name and came hard. After a few moments, Sousuke removed his fingers and lifted his hand to his mouth, licking away the juices.

"Mm, Sousuke?"

"Hm?"

Kaname slowly twisted in his hold, knelt between his legs and leaned forward. "Let's have sex," she leaned in the rest of the way and kissed him. For a moment, he was unresponsive, still in shock from her declaration. Then he shifted to hold her tightly against him and kissed back enthusiastically.

He pulled back to fully remove her shirt and she returned the favor. Her hands trailed down to untie the strings of his sweatpants and he unbuttoned her skirt. He rose to his knees, pushing against her so he could slip her skirt and underwear off her legs and toss them on the floor. His own pants and boxers soon followed.

Sousuke reached to the nightstand and opened the drawer. He pulled out a condom and rested it on the small table and closed the drawer. He turned his attention back to Kaname, who had laid herself out and was looking up at him with a mixture of shyness and lust. He swallowed thickly, his eyes trailing along every inch of her flushed body. "Beautiful," he whispered, causing her to blush deeper.

She glanced at his erection and began to wonder if it was really a good idea. She really had no idea what she was doing, and all she knew was to expect pain. Her gaze met his and she looked up at him pleadingly, hoping he would have some idea. Sousuke cupped her face gently and leaned over to press a soft kiss to her lips. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready, Kaname."

"I'm just, afraid, Sousuke, I don't know what to do," she fidgeted and glanced away nervously.

He smiled and kissed her again, then lay down beside her. His eyes were the softest she had ever seen them as he took her in, "I know. I don't really either. I, uh," he looked away and coughed, "I asked Mao for advice, though. So, uh, I have some idea."

She blinked slowly, and then realization dawned on her. "_That's_ what you meant when you said you 'looked forward to it'?!" She did not know whether to be embarrassed, angry, or impressed with him for asking Mao about sex. She smacked him lightly on the shoulder and laughed, though she was quite a dark shade of red, "Pervert!"

Sousuke blushed and averted his gaze, before smiling shyly at her. "Is that bad?"

Kaname shook her head, "No, not at all," she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Actually, I feel better about this now. I bet Miss Mao didn't hold anything back!" From the look on his face, she knew she hadn't. She stroked his face gently, giving him a look of adoration, "I'm ready, Sousuke."

He nodded and bent down to kiss her. It was a tender kiss that quickly turned passionate. Sousuke pressed her into the mattress and trailed his hands along her body. She had such delicious curves, and he could not keep himself from touching her. Kaname wrapped her legs around his waist and scratched his back hard enough to raise the skin. He groaned and nipped at her jaw line a tad roughly. She arched against him, rubbing against his cock.

Sousuke lifted himself up and looked down at her, heavy lidded and trying to regain control of his thoughts. He pressed a timid kiss to the corner of her mouth and then gently rolled her onto her stomach. "Sousuke?!"

"I'm just going to make sure you're relaxed," he said that at the same time he ran his hands along her spine, eliciting a moan from her. He kneaded at her back, working out all of the tension. Occasionally his hands wandered a little to knead her buttocks, fascinated by their soft plumpness. When he felt she had relaxed enough, he had her turn onto her back again.

She gazed up at him utterly content, a small smile on her face. It was a sleepy look, and he had to smile in response, brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her gently, then shifted down to settle between her legs. Kaname moaned when he licked her, bucking her hips against him when his tongue delved inside. He sucked and nipped and licked, enjoying the taste of her and every single reaction she had.

Sousuke shifted slightly, lifting his head to tongue her clit while slipping his fingers inside of her once more. "Yes, Sousuke!" she arched against him, pushing her way onto his fingers, trying to take them impossibly deep. He twisted his fingers, thrusting them inside her. She came with a small cry, her back arched. Slowly, she settled back against the bed, her entire body quivering in the aftermath.

He licked his fingers and shifted so he hovered above her. When she came back to herself and looked up at him he spoke up, "Are you sure you're ready, Kaname?" She nodded without any hesitation. Sousuke took out the condom and carefully rolled it on, then settled himself above her. He studied her face carefully, seeing trust and love, and only a little bit of the nervousness he expected her to have.

Slowly, he pressed the tip against her slick entrance, and moaned at the contact. Taking his time, he pushed inside of her, rocking back and forth gently. He never felt the barrier Mao had mentioned and was grateful. He had not wanted to hurt her at all, and that spared him the worst of it. Silently, he thanked Kaname for her athleticism.

Buried to the hilt, he sat there for a few moments, biting his lower lip. The feeling was much too intense, and if he wanted to last, he needed to get a grip. When Kaname rocked against him he nearly lost it, and had to grip her hips tightly and shake his head. "Wait," he choked out, gasping for air. She wrapped legs and arms around him, and whimpered when he finally started moving.

The rhythm was slow and awkward at first, neither of them used to the motions. Sousuke shifted several times, trying to find the steadiest position. He finally settled on leaning over her completely with her legs slung over his shoulders, bending her in half. They groaned at the deep penetration their position allowed for. Growing more confident in his movements, Sousuke began to move faster. He reached one hand to squeeze a breast, leaning in to kiss her.

Gasping for breath, kissing seemed almost impossible. Sousuke moaned and buried his face in the pillow beside Kaname's head. She whimpered, pressing her cheek roughly against his and trailing her hands down his back. "Sousuke," she breathed.

"Kaname," he whispered into the pillow, thrusting harder into her. Her nails bit into the skin of his back, leaving thin dotted trails of red. He growled, losing the last bit of control he had, the pain-pleasure driving him over the edge.

Sousuke pulled back so he could look down at her face as he pushed his way faster and harder into her. Kaname shouted his name and squirmed against him. She mewled, scratching her nails down his sides in defiance, trying to gain some control. Instead, she made him more insistent. He pushed her deeper into the mattress, settling the backs of her thighs against his shoulders. She was grateful she was flexible, else wise the position would have been painful.

Their rhythm became frenzied, rough and quick, and it wasn't long before Kaname screamed and clamped down on him. "Kaname!" he shouted, her already tight walls almost painfully closing in. He collapsed on top of her, barely managing to drop her legs and settle his weight to the side in time. The couple lay panting, their minds blank of everything but intense pleasure.

Sousuke groaned and slipped carefully out of her, both hissing in disappointment when they lost that intimate contact. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and slowly removed the condom, tying it off. He slipped it into its wrapper and tossed it in the trash can, then lay down beside Kaname. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her neck.

"How are you?" he asked tentatively, afraid he had hurt her.

Kaname turned in his arms and pressed against him. She smiled at him, "Wonderful, Sousuke. That was amazing. And it barely hurt," she leaned in and kissed him fiercely. "Thank you."

"It's not a problem," he murmured and closed the distance between them, returning her kiss.

"Sousuke?"

"Hm?"

"I love you," she hugged him tightly, meaning the words even more than ever now.

"I love you, too, Kaname."

* * *

**AN: This is what happens when I read hentai SxK doujinshi. XD**

**I just realized that I completely skipped Valentine's Day and White Day. I'll write a brief one or two chapter story that covers them when I come up with an idea worthy of being its own story to make up for it. I can't believe I forgot those days, but remembered hanami. What is wrong with me?**

**The 'adventure' part of this fic will be picking up soon, I promise. ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: In response to some of you awesome reviewers ^_^**

**luvanime – I'm learning while writing this fic myself ^_^ I've been doing research on the area around Tokyo and Chofu to figure out where these events could happen and the likes. Musashino is a real town just north of Chofu, and Inokashira Park is a real park sort of between the two towns. Writing this fic has been quite the learning experience, sometimes the time it takes me to get a chapter up is because I was busy researching!**

**brainy carrot – I can't find the exact site I downloaded a whole bunch from, but I do have a site with the better of the doujins hosted on it. I won't post the link here because of ff's rules on URLs, and I don't want to fight to type it in a way that's understandable as well as postable. Feel free to use any of the contact info in my profile to get a hold of me, and I'd be more than happy to send you the website or the zipped folders themselves.**

**That goes to anyone who wants to read the FMP hentai doujin I was talking about, as well. ^_^**

**

* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Ten**

The entrance ceremony had come and gone, their third and final year of high school had officially begun. Classes were getting difficult, so many tests were given to help them prepare for college entrance exams, the days were long, and their free time was dwindling to a fantasy as mock tests were scheduled on Sundays.

Golden Week was, for Sousuke and Kaname, spent lazing about in the apartment. Their classmates were all so busy studying that no one wanted to go anywhere when they finally had time to themselves. Not that the couple minded spending quality alone time together, locked in their room. But all the free time they had just served as a reminder to Kaname that she was not a normal girl, no matter how hard she tried.

They were lying on the bed, the sheets slipped down around their waists. Kaname was tracing circles on Sousuke's chest with her fingertips, her head resting on his shoulder. "Hey, Sousuke?"

"Hm?" it was such a familiar open to conversation with them.

"Do you think our classmates resent me? Us? They're dedicating so much time to study, and here we are," she rested her palm against his chest and sighed heavily. She had been getting the impression that some of her friends weren't really very 'friendly' anymore. Really, only Kyouko, Onodera, and Shinji seemed to talk to them these days. Since hanami, Mizuki had been keeping her distance, and no one else seemed quite inclined to speak with her much anymore.

She had not been elected class representative. That was fine with her, really, she had not wanted the position in the first place last year. But to have gone from the position being all but forced on her by her classmates to not even being nominated this time around was a shock to her. She was really beginning to understand what Sousuke had said, what Hayashimizu had been trying to warn them about.

Try as she might to push it aside, it still hurt.

"Kaname?" he had been trying to get her attention. Now, he shook her carefully, breaking her out of her thoughts. She tilted her head up to him, letting him know she was paying attention again. Sousuke tilted awkwardly to press a kiss to her forehead before laying back. "I was saying that it's hard to tell. They could just be distracted from all their studying, and they're probably feeling frustrated. They don't have time to enjoy themselves, so I would guess that they're easy to offend at the moment. Try not to let it get to you."

"Yeah. You're right, Sousuke," she grinned and rolled on top of him, her hair brushing along his chest. "For once," he placed his hands on her waist and smiled up at her. When she leaned down to press her body against his, he was all too happy to help distract her from her lonely thoughts.

* * *

May and June passed by uneventfully, and a couple weeks before summer break began was Tanabata. Kaname brought Sousuke to Hiratsuka to enjoy the festival. She showed him the wish making traditions and told him the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi. After they left the festival, they returned home to celebrate the lover's meeting day in a more private manner.

The next couple of weeks passed by, and towards the end of July the summer vacation began. Kaname had determined that she and Sousuke would not be travelling anywhere this year. No high jackings. No sea jackings. No submarines. No jumping out of airplanes. No military operations.

There would be none of those things as far as she was concerned. Understanding why she was so adamant, all Sousuke did was send the message along that he would not be attending the Tuatha De Danaan's birthday at the end of August. Kaname wanted a normal summer break, and not to fear for her life during it. How could he begrudge her that simple wish?

Kyouko and the others agreed to take some time off during their summer month to enjoy themselves. All the studying was really getting to them, and they needed to wind down. It was agreed that they would visit the amusement park one day, and that they would attend the fireworks festival and Obon together.

It was the first time Sousuke had ever been to an amusement park. As he commented on the safety and wisdom behind roller coaster rides, Kaname smacked him over the head with her purse. She had taken to leaving the harisen behind, since he had been doing so much better, but she regretted that decision for the day.

It had taken a low growl and pinching the sensitive part of his arm between her nails to keep him from using his Glock on one of the firing games. Their friends just watched in amusement. It had been a long time since they had seen Sousuke so irrational and Kaname punish him for it. They had not realized how dull school was without it before.

When Sousuke used a tender hug and kiss to apologize to Kaname, instead of the usual indignant or stammered statements, he had opened them up to merciless teasing. That had done him no favors, as his girlfriend was not the type to enjoy teasing, even if it was in good fun. She shunned him for most of the day, speaking to him only when he did something wrong. He trailed behind like a kicked puppy hoping for even the smallest of treats.

Sousuke got his treat that night.

The next morning, while Sousuke was out jogging, Kaname lay in bed thinking. Things had changed so much in the past year and four months. The intriguing transfer student. The high jacking. Discovering she was something called a 'Whispered.' Ariake. Lady Chapel. Leonard Testerossa. Kowloon. Arastols on the Pacific Chrysalis. Dating Sousuke. Having sex with Sousuke.

She sighed. Since she had started dating Sousuke, the things that made her 'normal' seemed to be fading further and further away. She was a Whispered, he was a mercenary, and their classmates were just high school students. She had a difficult time holding normal conversations with them these days. Sometimes their inability to grasp what she felt were simple concepts irritated her. She knew it shouldn't. She knew that before her talents were awakened, she would be right there with them.

It wasn't their fault she was a genius now. It wasn't hers, either, but she still felt guilty. Things with Sousuke were tense at times because of it as well. Each time she helped him study, she felt frustrated. He was asking less and less, but she saw his grades. It wasn't because he didn't need the help anymore. He was just trying not to bother her anymore. That upset her, too. Why was it so damn difficult for her to help him? Was she really that conceited?

She yanked on her bangs and growled at herself. The way things were going, it wasn't a particularly healthy relationship they were building. They loved each other, she had no doubts of that at all. Sometimes love just wasn't enough. This was one of those times. These days, they had little to say to each other. Their silences were becoming awkward instead of comfortable.

At times, it felt like their relationship was based purely on sex. Certainly it was enjoyable, but they could not keep going like that. She had no idea how to fix the situation though. Kaname felt so childish at that moment. Here she was, complaining to herself about being a genius, no one being able to understand or relate to her, and yet she could not even think of a solution to what sounded like a simple problem in her head. Some good being overly intelligent did her.

She heard Sousuke return and go immediately for the shower. She sighed again. When had he stopped coming by to kiss her awake and ask her to join him? Was he beginning to resent her, the way she knew her classmates were? She growled. Sousuke was not that kind of person. No, knowing him, he was giving her the space he assumed she desired. She had not been the most doting of partners the past couple of months.

Kaname wanted to get out of bed and join him. Her damn pride kept her in bed. If he wanted her there, then he should ask, right? But wasn't that just what she was debating with herself? And really, if she wanted to be with him, why could she not just go to him?

She never got the chance. The water to the shower turned off, and a few minutes later he walked into the bedroom, wrapped in a towel. He glanced over at her, noting that she was awake and watching him. Sousuke dropped the towel into the laundry basket and crawled into bed beside her. He gathered her up in his arms and pressed kisses to her face gently. Almost as though he were afraid she might object, she noticed.

Had she been rejecting him that much? She did not think she was, but of course she would downplay her own actions. Kaname snuggled against him, breathing in his fresh-clean scent. He squeezed her held her close. "Kaname," he breathed her name into her hair. She responded by squirming in his arms, trying to press impossibly tighter against him.

"Sousuke," her voice sounded like a whimper to her. She frowned at herself, at her weakness. He kissed the top of her head and pulled back to look her in the eyes. He smiled softly to her, a look of relief washing across his face. At first, it made no sense to her.

He kissed her on the mouth, a long, lingering kiss, gentle, tender and full of love. He traced her cheekbones with his fingertips, and then tangled his hand in her hair to cup the back of her head. Kaname felt as though she would melt, the flood of emotion was so intense. He pulled back slowly, almost regretfully. She was ashamed to realize there were tears on her face.

"I love you, Kaname," the words caught in his throat, his voice rough and husky. She burrowed her face in his chest and sobbed, clinging onto his shoulders. He stroked her head and back gently, comforting her as best he knew how.

"Why, Sousuke? I've been so bad to you," she choked on her tears which were now streaming down her face with abandon. She hated it and she hated herself at that moment. Why did she have to have so many doubts?

He pressed his lips against her ear and murmured softly, "You haven't, Kaname. You've been working through things. I've been trying to give you the space and time you've needed," he kissed the sharp curve of her jawbone under her ear. "And you _have_ needed it. Are you ready to talk to me about what has been bothering you?" he hugged her tight, his body shaking slightly.

"You're too good for me, Sousuke," she muttered. She really felt that way, just then. She felt so petty. He had been leaving her alone so she could work things through, when she had not even realized she had something to work through. It wasn't until she started missing his company, despite his living with her, that she had figured it out. And of course, she had been getting angry at him for not being attentive enough.

When had he gotten so perceptive, and sensitive to the needs of others? "Nonsense. If anything, I'm the one not good enough," he sighed, his tone indicating he had been thinking just that lately. Kaname felt a wave of guilt crash over her. She really had not been doing right by him. And instead of being upset with her, he got self-deprecating. Instead of confronting her, he had given her space.

"Oh, Sousuke," she wriggled in his arms until she could wrap her own around him. She kissed him, leaning into him, holding onto him tightly. "Oh, Sousuke. Honestly. You're too good to me," she sighed and tucked her head under his chin.

He knew better than to argue with her at this point. She would just clam up. He decided to just hold her, and wait it out to see if she would talk. No good would come with rushing her. Kaname was a contrary being, and if he urged her to talk, she would not, even if she wanted to. Things had to be her idea. Sousuke held back a sigh.

"Do you resent me, Sousuke?" she sounded afraid. Her voice trembled, although he could hear the hard hint to it that indicated she was trying to be strong. No, rather, she was trying not to care.

The question was an odd one. He had no idea what prompted it. "Why would I resent you, Kaname?"

She shifted in his arms, unsure of herself. "Because I'm smarter than you?" she winced. That did not come out at all kind or sensitive. She bit her lip and held back tears of frustration. Frustrated at herself for being so damn weak at a time like this.

"Kaname, why would I resent you for something like that? Do you resent me for being better at combat than you?" she shook her head. "Then why would I resent you for being smart?"

"I don't know. I guess it doesn't make any sense after all. I'm just being irrational," she muttered, "as always."

Sousuke squeezed her close. "Not at all, Kaname. These things are bothering you, it's important that you talk about them," he frowned at his own words, grateful she could not see him. Since when had he been this kind of person? Comforting people and offering encouraging words were not his forte.

He would not admit it to Kaname, but her increasing coldness had been bothering him. He had wanted to confront her about it, but he knew from experience it would get him no where. So, instead, he had called Mao and asked for her advice. He hated bothering her about his personal life, but he was at a loss. She had not seemed too put out, at least, and had offered him what she felt would work best for them.

"_Wait it out. Let her think things through. Give her space. Kaname has never been shy with you when you've gotten on her nerves in the past, right? This is more complicated than normal. When she's finally ready, just be there for her. Encourage her. Let her know it's all right. Don't get angry. Don't get confrontational. Make sure she knows you love her no matter what. Let her talk things out, sometimes things make more sense when you've said them to someone, so just listen to her. And most importantly, be sincere. If you can say something you think will make her feel better, and truly mean it, then say it. You're not a man of words, though, everyone knows that. Let your actions do the talking if you're at a loss."_

"I hate myself," Sousuke barely heard her. But he _did_ hear. He tightened his grip on her and kissed the top of her head.

"Why?" he left it at that, for now. He could not understand how she could hate herself. She was the most wonderful, smart, beautiful, amazing, confident person he had ever known.

Kaname whimpered and hid her face in his chest. She had not realized she had spoken out loud. "I'm not normal! I just want to be normal! I miss having normal intelligence, normal friends, a normal schedule, normal worries, normal thoughts! Now I'm some sci-fi freak, my boyfriend is a mercenary, the only people that know what I am are all military or the same as me! I don't live a normal high school life because I'm too smart for all that studying, I can't even join my friends because I get frustrated when they don't know the things I know, even though I _know_ I _shouldn't_ know this stuff!

Instead of worrying about things like boys and grades I worry about when the next time I'll be running for my life and freedom is! Instead of thinking about things like my future family, what kind of house I want to have, what kind of job I want to have, how many kids I want and what I want to name them, I'm thinking about things like secret organizations and giant robots! I just want my life back!"

She would have been screaming if she could have put the force into it. Her tears kept her from raising her volume too much, but her voice had raised several octaves and was hoarse. She pounded on his chest in emphasis, quickly losing the strength for that as well. In the end, she lay curled up in his arms, her face pressed against his chest, her entire body shaking as she choked on her sobs.

Sousuke did not know what to do. He held her and stroked her, knowing it had a soothing effect on her, but he did not know what else he could do. He found himself feeling guilty, though he did not know why. It was not his doing that she was the way she was. He was doing his best to preserve her lifestyle, to give her as much normalcy as she could have.

"…_my boyfriend is a mercenary,"_

He sighed inwardly. He was part of what made her 'abnormal.' Perhaps their being together was not particularly beneficial to her. He knew he felt better, stronger, more sure of himself, knowing she was by his side. But what if she was not feeling that way? What if she was feeling weighed down by him?

"Sousuke?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry," she curled her fists tight, not loosening up even when her nails bit into the soft flesh of her palms and drew blood. "I'm so sorry," the time for her pride was long since over. She had finally broken down under the stress of it all. She just hoped Sousuke was not too disgusted with her. "Please don't hate me."

"Kaname," he breathed softly, "I could never hate you."

"Even after I yelled at you, and hit you?"

Sousuke surprised them both when he chuckled. He smiled warmly at her, and stroked her head gently. "Kaname, if I were to hate you for yelling at me and hitting me, we would not be here like this right now," he glanced down to indicate their nudity and closeness.

She blushed. He had a point. She felt foolish now. She fidgeted for a moment then looked down at her hands. She opened and closed them, wincing at the biting pain she had missed earlier. "Sousuke?"

"Hm?"

"Are you disgusted with me? I must seem so foolish and so weak now. I just-"

"Kaname. Up until 16 months ago, you _were_ a normal girl. The fact that you have gone through everything you have with the strength and determination to just keep going is vastly impressive. There are very few people in this world as strong as you are. Since we met, you have constantly surprised me with your fierce spirit in the face of adversity. You are a genuinely amazing person, don't think otherwise for a moment."

Kaname sighed and pulled back, sitting up carefully. She smiled down at him. "Thank you, Sousuke. For everything."

Sousuke returned the smile and rolled onto his side. "It is not a problem." He looked down, and saw the blood, quickly sitting up and yanking on her arms to see her hands. "Kaname!"

She winced and looked down at them, frowning at how bad they looked. Sousuke pulled her off the bed and tugged her into the bathroom. He washed her hands and patched them up with the med kit he kept handy. Then he led her back into the room, laid her down and wrapped himself around her. He knew that they should be starting their day, eating breakfast, finding something to do, but all he wanted at the moment was to hold her close.

That was fine with her.

* * *

Sousuke stared at Kaname.

She had shooed him out of the apartment in a yukata and ordered him to wait for her near where the festival was being held. He had met up with Shinji, Onodera, and Kyouko there, and the four teenagers chatted about how their summer vacation had been going. Sousuke was beginning to think that Kyouko was giving him too many suspicious-seeming looks when Kaname's arrival completely derailed his thoughts.

She stood there in a red, pink, and white yukata with Hokusai-style waves printed on it in the lighter shades. She had her hair and make-up done up the way she had when she saved Sousuke from a naked swim the previous fall. The others stared as well, recognizing her as 'the wife,' not as 'Chidori Kaname.'

"Kaname," Sousuke tried not to stammer, though he was blushing furiously just as he had when she had worn her mother's kimono. The others looked between the two in shock, then stared at Kaname for a long time before they could finally see it.

"Uwa, Kana-chan, you're so pretty!" Kyouko exclaimed, staring at her friend in shock.

Kaname smiled and blushed, fidgeting with her bag and glancing down at her feet. Sousuke finally got his bearings back and stepped over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and bent down to kiss her, completely disregarding the fact that they were in public. She was far too beautiful at that moment for him not to go to her. She sighed and leaned into him, letting him hold her up.

He reluctantly pulled away when Onodera cleared his throat noisily. Sousuke frowned, not appreciating the interruption, even though he knew it was probably for the best. Kaname giggled and patted his arm before claiming it. "Well, let's go! There's too much food waiting to be eaten to sit around like this!"

No one dared mention they had been waiting for her in the first place.

They enjoyed wandering the stalls, and Sousuke recalled his lessons from the theme park. Kaname did not get the urge to hit him even once that night, which they all considered a very great improvement from the Sousuke that had first transferred to Jindai. He twitched at the fireworks, bet kept himself in check. He knew what they were, and Kaname had made sure to explain it to him just in case. That did not mean he had to like the sounds of explosions and smell of gunpowder from the show, though.

* * *

School had started up again. Kaname was growing increasingly more bored with class. She tapped her pencil on her notebook instead of writing anything down. Her thoughts wandered, though to no where in particular. Mostly, she found herself daydreaming, and thinking to her nights with Sousuke. That was hardly appropriate to think of while at school, but it was the most enjoyable thing in her life at the moment.

Sousuke kept glancing up at Kaname's back in front of him. When she stopped tapping the pencil he spared a look from his note taking. Seeing her rubbing her thighs together made him gulp. Her moving like that could really only mean one thing, and that was not something he wanted to be thinking about at the moment. He really needed to take these notes.

He squeezed his eyes shut and clumsily wrote down what he heard without looking down at the paper. After a few moments, he finally felt composed enough to dare open his eyes. He hastily fixed his notes to be more readable, and noticed in the edges of his vision that Kaname had stopped. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he heard whispering.

It was her voice, undoubtedly, and he strained to hear what it was she said. "…composite armor, na-nano nano nanocomponent…" Sousuke was about to reach over and shake her from her Whispered state when the teacher heard the mutterings.

"Chidori! I know this material is easy to you, but could you please not interrupt?"

Sousuke reached out anyways, even though everyone's eyes were on them now. Before he could touch her, however, she bashed her head on the desk with a frustrated growl. "I'm so _tired of this_!"

"Tired of what, Kana-chan?"

Sousuke stepped around his desk and gripped Kaname's shoulders tightly, looking down at her concerned. There was a spot of blood on her forehead where she split the skin and her eyes were glazed over. Not from the injury though. She had begun muttering AS parts and weakness again, only this time, she was loud enough for everyone to hear.

He shook her roughly and shouted in her face. Bleary eyed, she focused on him after some time as her words trailed off. "Sousuke?" there was no time for him to be relieved that she had come back to herself. She stood up on shaky legs, intent on getting closer to him, as she never heard the Whispers when she was in his arms.

Kaname collapsed, barely caught by a shocked Sousuke. The class was in an uproar.

* * *

**AN: This has nothing to do with my fic, but does have to do with FMP. Visit my profile for information on where to go for my little translation project. I have purchased 3 of the short story novels and will be posting the translations on a livejournal account I made just for posting them. It is all public, so no need to join lj to read or even comment. First story, or at least a piece of it, will hopefully be up by January's end. ^_^v  
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	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Last scene is lemon, you know the drill by now.**

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This chapter is about twice as long as my average chapter, but I assure you, it is all worth it. It did not feel right to split this chapter up, as everything builds up to the end, and interrupting it would just not have worked. This is probably the most emotional chapter I have worked on so far, and the reason for it taking so long to finish is because my beta and I wanted it to be **_**just right**_**.**

**Speaking of my beta, I demand that you all love her. And give her cookies. Because she is positively amazing~ and you can thank her for this chapter being as awesome as it is. It is because of all of her urgings and suggestions that this chapter be the best damned chapter EVER. ^_^**

**

* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Eleven**

She heard voices; people whispering to each other - not Whispers - these were normal, innocent voices. Someone hushed them, and there was a lot of rustling, then a door closing. It seemed whoever had told them to be quiet had also told them to leave. Her hand felt warm. Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting against the fluorescent light above her.

Someone's head moved into her field of vision, blocking the light as well. Though he was in shadow, she recognized the person as Sousuke. She squeezed his hand then reached up to tug on his arm, pulling him closer. When he pulled back, she growled, but when he moved to lie beside her, she quickly forgave him. He held her tight against his chest and she could feel his whole body lightly shaking. _Was he afraid?_

"Sousuke?"

He kissed her on the top of the head and began running his fingers through her hair. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered softly, "How are you feeling, Kaname?"

"I have a headache," she muttered, her voice bitter. He shifted until he lay on his back, draping her across his body. He rubbed gentle circles around her temples, tracing his thumbs across her brow in hopes of soothing away the pain. She let out a content sigh and snuggled against him.

Her hair tickled his nose. It was a familiar sensation - one he had come to enjoy. At the moment though it was a distraction; one he smoothed away absent mindedly. He saw the nurse watching them curiously, and he heard the faint sound of their classmates buzzing outside of the office. Thanks to his exceptional hearing, he was able to make out enough pieces of their conversation to know what they were talking about. He chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully.

There was no way things could ever return to normal now. Most of their class had already taken to calling Kaname 'that freak,' and other less-than-kind terms. The story was quickly spreading across the school; no doubt being blown out of proportion. It was bad enough that she had blurted out information that only specially trained military personnel should know - who could say just what else their imaginations could add? He knew that their closest friends were trying to stop the gossip, but it was far too entertaining a story for their efforts to have much effect.

It had not taken long for people to jump on Kaname's newfound intelligence coming to her dishonestly. Many of her classmates had already been jealous of her knowledge that had seemed to come from no where, now they were outright furious. Sousuke had the feeling they would be waiting until night had fallen before they would be able to leave the nurse's office without being jumped on. Questions, anger, spite, laughter, suspicion - there were far too many things he needed to avoid.

Things had finally come to the point he had dreaded. It was only a matter of time. Sousuke was not a particularly optimistic person and had planned for this, but he was still regretful. Kaname's hearing was not all that bad either; she could hear the louder, angrier of the comments coming from outside. She was fighting back her tears and felt overwhelmingly frustrated, not wanting to let her classmates get to her in the way that they were.

It did hurt, though. It was like junior high all over again; except in junior high, she had been able to calm herself down and become more of a 'proper' Japanese girl. She could not stop being a Whispered - despite all of her wishes that she could just be normal. Sousuke wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He wanted ever so badly to be able to say "It is not a problem" to her… to have the ability to tell her that everything would be all right. He could not, however much he wanted. There was absolutely nothing he could say that would make her feel better.

It had been a long time since Sousuke had felt helpless. He did not like it - not at all. There was nothing he could say to Kaname. There was nothing he could do about their classmates. He could not explain their situation to a horde of civilians. Kaname was safer if they just thought she was some sort of freak than if they knew exactly what she was. He hated not being able to do anything for her, and it was tearing him apart inside.

Kaname tried to be strong. She had dealt with rejection and merciless teasing before… this was just too much, though. At least then it was strangers - she could fight that. They did not know her, so what did their thoughts matter? Now, though, it was her friends. People she had laughed with, had fun with, advised, people that knew her and liked her. Now though? She was still the same person, dammit!

But she wasn't - and she knew that. She never could be the same person again. She had been trying so desperately to hold on to her old self and now she felt her walls collapsing in on themselves. Everything she had built up; all of her courage, her self-confidence, everything she had fought tooth and nail for since her mother died - it was all falling apart. _She_ was falling apart. She hated it. She hated being weak like this.

Sousuke held her close and stroked her hair while she cried in his arms. The part of him that wanted to destroy anything that hurt her very much wanted him to take his Steyr SPP into the hallway. His slowly developing more rational side told him that would only make her more upset. That did not stop him from feeling rage, however. He was grateful that he had her on top at the moment. It was much easier to convince himself not to move her around than to not shed some blood.

His fists clenched in her shirt and he bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper. Feeling helpless was bad enough; he really did not need to be feeling vengeful as well. He had a feeling Kaname would not like 'Kashim' very much - nor would his superiors at Mithril, and not even Kalinin would be able to bail him out if he killed civilians - particularly on purpose.

Kaname whimpered and began to shift away from him. Realizing he was shaking in fury, he shook his head harshly to clear and yanked her back onto him. He pressed a firm kiss to her forehead and resumed stroking her hair. When Kaname flinched at something that was shouted outside the door, he finally had enough. It was not particularly beneficial; but at this point, their only option really would be to leave school, anyway. _So fuck it._

Sousuke growled and rolled Kaname onto her side, swinging his feet off the bed. The nurse looked up from her computer as Sousuke stomped to the door. "Sagara? Sagara what are you doing?"

"Putting an end to this," his voice was sharp and low. The nurse quickly shuffled off to a room in the back to get away from him. Sousuke yanked the door open and anyone that would have tried to push past him immediately thought better when they saw his face. They thought they had seen him angry before - any of the times he thought someone was putting Kaname in danger. Even Mizuki had thought she had seen his worst at hanami.

His current expression made his past outbursts seem like the antics of a fluffy kitten. He had his arms braced against the doorframe - and even though his head was lowered and leaned forward, he seemed somehow larger and taller than he really was. His eyes seemed almost soulless; completely devoid of compassion.

Everything about him screamed 'murderer.'

When he spoke, every syllable felt like shards of ice pricking their skin, and the hallway felt as though it had dropped to the freezing point. "Enough of this! Get the fuck out. Leave her alone. She has done _nothing_ to deserve this. None of you will _ever_ understand what she is going through, so shut the _fuck_ up already. You're really grating on my nerves," he let the unspoken threat hang in the air. He turned to look at each student; none were brave enough to meet his gaze, and finally, they all walked away.

Sousuke closed the door and returned to Kaname, who was shaking and staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. When he tried to brush her bangs away from her eyes, she recoiled, clutching the flimsy sheet to her chest as though the material could protect her. He stayed locked in that position - his hand outstretched and body hunched over, his eyes pleading with her to understand and forgive him.

Her shoulders slumped, and she folded her hands in her lap, looking down at them. She remembered that look he had given her. It was the same look he had in Sunan, the first time he had really rescued her. He had risked everything for her; he was thinking only of getting her to safety, and she had selfishly told him to stay away from her. She had been afraid of him, even though he was doing everything for her. Just like now.

He was protecting her. It was more than obvious how much her classmate's words were hurting her, and he had put an end to it. He even did it without guns, explosives, or knives - yet here she was, afraid of him again because of something he did with only her best interests in mind. She looked up from her hands to see Sousuke standing in the same spot, though he had straightened up. His arms hung limply at his sides and he was giving the ground a rather distasteful glare.

"Sousuke?"

He raised his head slightly, his features softening before he turned to look at her. She reached out and grabbed his uniform shirt, tugging on it. He gave her a faint smile and sat on the edge of the bed beside her, tentatively reaching for her again. She leaned into his hand and let him brush his fingers across her face, tracing her features. "I think we should leave now, while we have the chance," he spoke softly, turning his gaze to the now silent door.

Kaname nodded and squeezed his hand, letting him pull her from the bed and lead her out of the school. They walked home in silence. She was content just to hold on tightly and be dragged home. She really did not want to face anyone at the moment, and Sousuke had made sure they slipped out unnoticed. She stared down at her feet as they walked, paying no attention to their surroundings. She hardly remembered the train ride and honestly could not say just when it was that Sousuke had laid her down on the bed.

"Sousuke?" she whispered his name, hardly moving as he untied the ribbon on her blouse and loosened a few buttons. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, grunting quietly in response. She was silent for several long minutes, before finally asking "What now?"

He let out the breath he had not realized he was holding, glancing down at her pensive expression. "It depends. We have various options available to us - it's the same as before. We could run from it all or we could make our life with Mithril. We could move onto Merida Island Base. I would be around fairly often as I'm not usually stationed on the Tuatha de Danaan, although I would have to return to full time work," he said that last almost bitterly.

She stared at her ceiling, lost in thought. What kind of life would they lead if they ran away? Not likely one she wanted any part of. Not only would they be running from Amalgam, but they would also be running from Mithril, who would try to hunt down a wayward operative. On Merida, she would be at her safest. Sousuke would not have to worry while he was away. But what about her? She would have so much more to worry about, since he would be on missions far more often.

Then she remembered why it was she had to make this decision. She had entered the Whispered state during class - such a deep trance that she had been talking out loud. Those types of episodes had stayed away unless something triggered them, but this time it had come from no where. She needed to learn why or at least how she could control it. Even though it was obviously past the point of no return, she still clung to a small shred of hope that someday she could resume a normal life. _One step at a time_, she told herself.

"Merida," she whispered, still staring at the ceiling. "Let's go there," _so I can talk to Tessa_. Sousuke had a feeling that was the unspoken part. He kissed her temple and slid from the bed. He went over to his communications gear in one of the side rooms, putting on the headset and turning the dials.

When the operator came on, he gave his information, and waited impatiently to be patched through. He knew it had to go through all the systems, and if the TDD-1 was out to sea, then it would take even longer. Really, the communications systems and protocols made this horrendously slow. He just wanted things to get moving, before someone remembered they knew where Kaname lived, or something.

After several minutes, he heard Tessa's calm sweet voice in his ear "Sergeant Sagara?"

"Captain, a situation has occurred," he tried to keep his tone even, but just thinking about the students' reactions made him furious again.

"Oh my, what happened, Mr. Sagara?" while Sousuke had managed to keep his voice cool and even, there was a sharp edge to it that one would only notice if they knew him well enough. For her part, Tessa sounded concerned. There were very few things that ever seemed to shake his composure.

Sousuke eyed the panels distastefully, trying to think of exactly what to say. He knew this was being broadcast in the command center of the TDD-1, and he did not want to say too much about how Kaname was being affected at the moment. "Kaname had an 'episode' during class, and the entire school knows she is not quite like them now. If possible, I would like to take her to Merida Island Base," he wanted to add 'until the situation is resolved,' but he did not hold much hope for that ever happening.

He heard Tessa sigh regretfully. When she spoke up, there was a hint of sadness in her words, "I see. That is most unfortunate. I can arrange a pick-up at 2300 GMT at the earliest. Will you be able to make that?"

Sousuke glanced at the clock. That time would be eight in the morning, which gave them twenty hours to pack, rest, and set straight any business. He figured that they could leave most of their belongings in the same warehouse he had stored most of the boxes when he had been recalled from Tokyo. It would at least give Kaname some hope of being able to return, and it would be a simple enough task to retrieve them if it became clear to her that they couldn't. It was really the only comfort he could offer her in this situation. "Yes Ma'am, that would be plenty of time."

"Very well. We will use route three-B for your return to Merida Island Base," that was the same route Sousuke had used when he had been recalled last October.

"Understood, Madam Captain. Ending transmission," when he got the affirmative, he switched the console off and cleared the passwords. He pulled off his headset and leaned back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. After a few moments, he rose and headed back into the bedroom. He frowned, seeing that Kaname was still in the exact position he had left her - not even a single wrinkle of clothing had moved. "Kaname?"

Her eyes shifted to look at him, but she still did not move. "Sousuke. When do we leave?"

Seeing her so despondent was eating away at him. Since meeting her, she was everything that made him a good person. If not for meeting her, it was likely he would have left Mithril, frustrated with their Defenders of Justice attitude. Perhaps he would have even worked for a group like Amalgam. In any event, however, she had become his strength. With her, he could do anything; but with her like this, he felt completely useless. It seemed like there was nothing he could do at all. "Tomorrow morning - we'll meet with the transport at eight."

"I see."

"Last year, when I was recalled, I used a warehouse just outside of Tokyo to keep most of my belongings. I was thinking… we could put most of what we pack there, so that we would not have to move it back from Merida." That was it. That was all the consolation he could offer her - and it was cheap - he knew. She knew, too, and she sighed. It was the best she would get, though. She faintly nodded. "All right. I'll begin packing, then."

Hardly an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Sousuke stood from a box he had been carefully filling to answer. Looking through the peephole, he saw Kyouko, Shunya, and Ayame. He opened the door and stared at the three, waiting for one of them to say something. He would not step aside if it seemed like they would cause problems. "Sagara-kun. We just want to check up on Kaname, is she all right?"

He shook his head and turned to let them enter. From their brief greeting, he learned that Kyouko had called Ayame to let her know about what happened, and they had agreed to come over together. When they stepped in, they saw that Sousuke had already packed up a large amount of the living room. Shunya turned to look at him suspiciously, "What is this?"

"We're leaving Japan. Kaname is lying down, if you can get her to move, I would appreciate it. She has not so much as twitched since we got back," his words were clipped and his voice cold. He really did not want to let anyone near her, but perhaps someone who did not understand her situation yet was still kind to her would do her more good than he could. It was all too obvious how terribly suited he was to making her feel better. He returned to packing - not bothering to elaborate any further despite the dark glare Shunya was giving him.

Kyouko and Ayame immediately went to the bedroom. "Kana-chan? Kana-chan, are you alright? I've been so worried since you collapsed, but the nurse wouldn't let anyone near you, and then you guys snuck out of school, and, Kana-chan?" she sat on the edge of the bed and took Kaname's hand. Ayame settled in on the other side of the bed and took her sister's other hand, looking down at her with concern.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she remarked bitterly, the words tasting foul in her mouth. Kyouko didn't deserve her contempt, but it was hard for her not to feel angry at the moment. She was angry at everything. Herself, for being so weak, her classmates, all of them, for shunning her, Sousuke for letting her stay in Tokyo even though he knew this would happen, her family for her being born a Whispered, though it went against all logic to blame them. The last shred of normalcy in her world had just been taken from her.

Kyouko flinched at the harsh words. "Kana-nee, that's not nice! We're all just worried about you!" At Ayame's words, Kaname laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh, but a harsh noise that seemed to be ripped from her throat and it was full of contempt.

"Worried? Worried about me? Why would anyone worry about a freak like me?! Just leave me alone!" she pulled her hands back from the two girls and grabbed the covers, yanking them over her head. She did not want to see anyone. She yelled in outrage and was forced to sit up when the blankets were ripped from her hands, Sousuke looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

"Kaname, do not push them away. They are genuinely concerned for your well-being," his expression softened and he turned his gaze to the floor. "Let them help you, Kaname. They're better at it than I am," he dropped the sheets and walked back out into the living room, leaving the girls staring after him in shock. Kaname shook and she looked down at her hands. He was right. She was being, frankly, a bitch. Here they were, the few people that actually cared about her and were not mocking her for what happened, and she was shoving that kindness back in their faces and saying she didn't need it.

She really, desperately did though. And Sousuke, with that last line, he had sounded so sad. It seemed as though he was, perhaps, blaming himself. She took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. Then, she tilted her head and turned to look first at Ayame, then at Kyouko. "I'm sorry, guys. I guess I'm just not really feeling like myself right now. You didn't deserve that."

Kyouko hugged her close, shaking her head. "No, Kana-chan, it's all right! Just, please, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Why not?" that was Ayame. She looked hurt, almost offended, by the fact that Kaname did not seem to trust them. "Sousuke knows, doesn't he?" it was an accusation, not a question. Kaname glared at her sister.

"Yes, he does, but it's a private matter Ayame! I don't _want_ to talk about it, and really, I _can't_ talk about it! It just wouldn't be safe!"

Shunya, who was standing in the doorway, watching and listening, spoke up, "What do you mean, it wouldn't be safe?"

Kaname wringed her hands nervously, not looking up at him. Mentally, she was damning herself for saying that. She hated it when she let things like that slip. "I can't explain it, Dad. Please don't ask me to."

Sousuke came to stand just behind Shunya. "There isn't much I can say, but I can explain a little about the situation, as well as give you numbers of people you may contact, sir," he looked up at Kaname's father. The older man nodded slowly, eyeing him suspiciously. Sousuke glanced at Kaname, who looked shocked, but she gave him her consent when she realized that was what he wanted. "I just got off the line with my superior officers."

"Superior officers?"

"I'm getting to that, sir, please," Shunya went quiet. "I cannot give specifics, but what I can say is that I'm a sergeant in a secret military organization that does not belong to any country. I was sent here to Tokyo last April to begin a mission. That mission was to infiltrate Jindai High School as a student to be close to my target, so that I may guard her more efficiently. That target was Kaname, and to this day, it is still my job to guard her. I cannot say _why_ I am guarding her, though I'm sure you have already concluded that it has something to with what happened in class."

Everyone except Kaname stared at Sousuke for several long moments. "You aren't joking, are you?"

He scowled. "I _don't_ joke."

"That explains so much," Kyouko murmured, and then glanced over at Kaname. "Is that why you were so scared last year, when Sagara-kun disappeared?" Both she and Sousuke winced at that statement. It had been a very rough time for them, and neither wanted to remember it. They still had not even discussed it with each other.

Kaname fidgeted and nodded slowly, "Yeah. There was someone after me, and Sousuke was…" she trailed off.

"I was recalled. It was supposed to be permanent, but," he looked at Kaname. They glanced away from each other and just let it end there. No one dared to ask them again about that time. "Regardless, the situation has changed. After what happened in class today, it is no longer safe for Kaname to remain at school, so I am taking her to base with me. I cannot say where that base is, and it will probably take some time before any kind of meeting will be arranged."

"You're saying this is the last time I will see my daughter in, how long?" Shunya glared at Sousuke, as though accusing him, blaming him for what was happening. Sousuke returned the glare, not appreciating the implications; particularly not when he only had Kaname's best interests in mind.

"Be grateful there will be any meetings at all, _sir_. Returning to base is Kaname's idea - I gave her the choice - she could have just as easily chosen for us to run away from everything, and if that were the case, you would never see or hear from us again. This is for _her_ good," his tone and expression dared Shunya to argue with him. It was the same insolent expression he had given the Mithril higher-ups when he 'negotiated' his change of contract.

Kaname slowly slipped out of bed and walked over to Sousuke. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you, Sousuke," this was the first she heard about the possibility of there being meetings with her family. She had assumed she would be leaving everyone and everything behind. The fact that Sousuke had also asked his superiors for permission to tell those close to her _something_ meant a lot to her. She felt a little better, having someone else know even just a piece of what she was going through.

Sousuke returned the hug and kiss, squeezing her once before letting her go. "It is not a problem," he said, bringing a small smile to her face. Seeing her smile again made him feel better. He nodded to her, and then glanced at the others. "These words, of course, stay between us," they agreed, and Sousuke pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket then handed it to Shunya. "These are the numbers I told you about. It is only because of your position with the UN that my superiors have agreed to give you this chance. Do not betray their good faith. Now, I have to finish packing; we leave in the morning."

"So soon? Kana-nee," Ayame whined, and looked at her sister. Kaname just shook her head and joined Sousuke. Finally, the other three decided to help pack, if only to spend the time they had left together. They loaded their things into the van, Sousuke disappeared for a couple of hours to visit the warehouse, and when he came back, the others had left.

Kaname looked around the now empty apartment, saddened by the deserted sight laid out before her. Their furniture had gone with Shunya and Ayame; all they had for the night was a futon set up in the middle of the main room, Kaname's pink Boston bag packed with what she would need for a few days, and Sousuke's rucksack. "It feels kind of lonely, don't you think?" she asked when Sousuke walked in, not even bothering to look up at him.

"I suppose," it hardly affected him, really. He had packed up and moved so many times that an apartment full of things seemed almost inconvenient. It certainly seemed that way when he packed up earlier, though it really only took him the same amount of time leaving in October had. Of course, back then, he had made it drag out. Kaname settled on the futon and Sousuke joined her. They did not bother to say anything else, and just went to sleep.

Morning came and went, as did the trip to Merida. It was a long flight; made even longer seeming by their silence. It was really sinking in that she was leaving her life behind. She really hoped she would be able to find a way to distract herself while living on a base. If this lonely feeling persisted, especially when Sousuke was gone on missions, she might just go mad. As long as there was something to distract her, she would be all right. That was why she had joined all those clubs, and ran for Student Council Vice President. If she was busy, she did not have to think about anything else.

When they arrived on base, Kurz and Mao were there to greet them. Kurz grinned and flirted with Kaname, trying to cheer her up. Sousuke just growled at him, not amused, and Mao kicked his legs out from under him. "Not the right time, Weber!"

"Aw, but Sis, a little flattery goes a long way towards cheering up a pretty lady, right?" he looked at Kaname for confirmation. The girl just shook her head and handed her bag over to Sousuke when he reached for it. Defeated, Kurz's shoulders sagged. He perked up a little and took the bag from Sousuke, winking at Kaname while doing so. Kurz then led them to a humvee, holding the door open for the girl and giving her a helping hand.

Sousuke shook his head. He was not in the best of moods, and Kurz's antics were grating on his nerves. He did note that Kaname was relaxing, even if just ever so slightly, so he let the blond get away with it. He also knew it should not bother him; Kurz was just being Kurz, but still. He and Kaname sat in the back, Kurz was driving, and Mao turned around in her seat to look back at them. "Sousuke, we took your stuff from the barracks and moved it into an empty officer's quarters. You and Kaname will be sharing one. Tessa was able to get you guys that much, okay?"

"Thank you," he spoke quietly then looked down at Kaname who also nodded her thanks. Satisfied, Mao turned around in her seat. The quarters that had been found for them were far from the runway, since most officers preferred to be close to the places they would need to be. The drive over was fairly long as a result, and dull. Sousuke was never much of a conversationalist, Kaname was certainly not in the mood, and even Kurz knew when to give up.

When they did arrive, they brought everything inside, and then Kurz and Mao left them alone. They had asked if the two teenagers wanted to join them for a late lunch and as expected, they declined. Kaname sat down on the edge of the bed and put her face in her hands. Sousuke put some of their belongings away, just to neaten things up, and then joined her. He slung an arm around her shoulders and looked around. He spotted the rifle case he used to hold his fishing rods and got an idea.

"Kaname?"

"Yeah, Sousuke?"

"Why don't we go to that fishing spot I showed you last year?" he sounded hopeful. It wasn't that he wanted to fish; he just knew she had really liked the spot, and thought perhaps something familiar, with a good memory, would cheer her up. She stirred slightly, and then dropped her hands to rest on her lap as a deep, thoughtful expression crossed her features.

Finally, she nodded, and looked up at him with a small smile, "Yeah. Why don't we bring a blanket, too? I bet the sunset looks beautiful out there."

Sousuke was all too happy to comply. He found a fairly large blanket and rolled it up, then grabbed a bag that held some meals Ayame had prepared for them. The younger girl had grown to enjoy cooking after Kaname's teaching, and had cooked the food they had at the apartment so they would have their meals for the day. He did not even bother to grab the rifle case as fishing was not what they were going out there for.

Kaname followed him to the spot, though it was a rather long and tedious hike out there. He set out the blanket and left the bag nearby. She lay down on her stomach, looking out at the edge of the cliff and the never ending stretch of ocean on the horizon. Sousuke settled down beside her on his back, staring up at the sky. Several hours passed. They had eaten their lunch earlier, and the sun was beginning to set.

They were sitting up on the blanket. Kaname was settled comfortably in Sousuke's lap, looking out at the ocean. The view was wonderful. The clouds were various shades of yellow and red, the sun had a large and powerful presence on the horizon, and the reflection in the water made it seem like sea of flame. She watched the view, mesmerized by the beauty of the scene. Sousuke watched her expressions, not really caring about the sight.

As the sun slowly sank from view, Kaname started crying. The tears spilled from her eyes and her body shook. At a loss, he wrapped his arms tighter around her. She turned in his hold, pressing her face against his chest, sobbing and choking on tears. Sousuke lowered her down on the blanket underneath him, "Kaname? Kaname, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and wiped at her face. She was so tired of crying, she should really be stronger than this. The sun setting, however, had reminded her of when Sousuke had left her. Before she had given him his haircut, they had stood on a bridge while the sun set, talking about how it had been six months since he had arrived at Tokyo. Six months and he had already come to mean so much to her. Now, they had been dating for seven months, and her entire world was changing again.

Perhaps watching the sunset had not been such a good idea. She felt lost in so many ways. She gripped him tightly and looked him in the eyes, "Sou-su-ke~. Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me," the tears threatened to spill from her eyes again. The feeling of despair she had felt when she learned Sousuke had left had returned along with the grip of fear.

Words did not seem appropriate. Sousuke looked down at her, shocked, not understanding where this had come from. All he knew was that there was nothing he could say. Of course he would not leave her, but she _knew_ that. Something told him that there was a hidden meaning to her words. All he could do was show her that he loved her. Surely she believed his love would keep him by her side. He bent his head to kiss the corners of her eyes, then her eyelids, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

Kaname pulled back and stared up at Sousuke, her eyes begging him for something, 'what' he did not know, "Please."

He nodded solemnly, running his thumb gently across her cheekbones, "Of course, Kaname. I will never leave you again. Without you by my side, I just," he sighed and remembered his own feelings of despair from that time. "Life just is not worth living without you, Kaname."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and fighting back the tears, and when she spoke, there was a trace of helplessness she wished she had the strength to speak without. "When you left, Sousuke, I felt so... So hopeless! There was someone after me and you weren't there. I tried calling you, but I kept getting the message that your line was out of service," she started rambling, her voice taking on a frantic and desperate tone.

Sousuke gathered her in his arms and held her tight, rocking her back and forth. He did not know where the gesture had come from, but it felt right. She calmed herself enough to keep telling her story, "And then, I was sitting in my apartment, I couldn't sleep. The phone rang, but no one was on the line. I was terrified, Sousuke! I ran to your apartment, figuring that even if you weren't there, I could contact the TDD, I knew I could figure out the codes and frequencies, but then…

"Your apartment was empty, except for those CDs I had let you borrow! I felt so, so, so utterly hopeless! Without you, I knew they would get me. I _told_ you, I only trusted _you_! And you left me!" she punched his chest, the tears that had threatened to spill now flowing freely down her cheeks.

Sousuke felt guilt wash over him. Kaname was right. She had given him absolute trust, and he had as good as told her his orders were more important – that Mithril was more important. That wasn't true, but it was the message he had sent. He cursed himself for his idiocy, for his need to preserve what order he had in his life by doing as he was told. He wished he knew what to say to her, what to do for her, how he could make her feel better. "I'm so, so sorry, Kaname. I should never have left you, I should have been there for you," he trailed off. He could spout 'should haves' all night long and nothing would come from it.

Kaname growled at him and pounded her fists against him again. "Sorry doesn't cut it this time Sousuke! I already told you that, I still haven't forgiven you for that time! I had to take matters into my own hands because you weren't there, you idiot. I'm not trained for that like you are!" she was nearly shrieking now, her voice rising in both volume and octave with her rage. "I had to ask some creep to a hotel so Wraith would stay in one place. That creep didn't listen to me and I had to knock him out then change into the seedy motel bathrobe. I had to guess at what kind of a building would be good for spying from, I was so sure I was going to be wrong!"

As Sousuke listened to this, he felt both overwhelming pride in the strength and courage Kaname had, but also profound guilt. He should have been there. He should have been the one to do the searching, _the hunting_. Yes, he would have _hunted_ whoever was stalking Kaname back then. Just as he was wondering if Kaname's tormentor was still out there for him to maim, she spoke up again, quietly, as though afraid of her next words. "I found him, Wraith, that is. I was going to ask him some questions, but then he was shot. I guess his disguise helped deflect the bullet, but he was still knocked out. Then _she _came.

"She shot at me and I thought for sure I would get killed. I ran and I even jumped across rooftops to get away from her. I took off my robe and hid it in some crates and found a place out of sight, but in my stun gun's range. I hesitated for a moment, but I remembered what you told me. After I shocked her, I," she trailed off and a look of pain and disgust crossed her face.

Sousuke wondered just what happened. He was very impressed with her handling of the situation, but it was obvious she still had her ghosts. All he could do for her at the moment was to hold her tight and listen to her story, taking any and all abuse she gave him. "_He_ came. That bastard," he almost missed it when Kaname started talking again. The words came out as a low, quiet hiss of anger. "He had that girl killed by one of his Arastols and it snapped her neck. Then he had the nerve to try to say he was better than you!

"I was so horrified, Sousuke. I know I've seen you kill before, but this was nothing like that. You've always done it in self-defense, or to save me or something. It was in the heat of battle. But this was just cold-blooded murder! It was so, so, disgusting. And scary! Then he, he," she unconsciously wiped her lips at the memory. Sousuke immediately grew concerned by the gesture and he found himself wanting to kill whoever this person was. He never wanted Kaname to see such brutalities, he even felt guilty over the times he had to kill in front of her. This was making his blood boil; he was so furious that someone would steal any more of her innocence than had already been ripped away from her.

"That bastard Leonard stole something from me, Sousuke," her voice was a harsh whisper. Her words tore at him. He wanted blood. He wanted to comfort Kaname. He wanted to know just what Leonard had stolen from her. She wiped her lips again and he remembered something from over a year ago.

"_Of course you did something wrong, you idiot! You stole a girl's lips without her permission! Isn't that some kind of rape?!"_

Sousuke's blood ran cold. Could Leonard have done that – kissed Kaname? Of course he could have. He did not know much about Tessa's brother, but he did know that he was with Amalgam and that he was probably twisted. There was nothing Sousuke could do about what had happened, but he could try to replace her memories.

They had kissed plenty of times before, of course, but never during such an emotionally charged situation. Kaname swiped at her lips yet again, bruising them. He grabbed her arm carefully and held it to the side when she tried to wipe her mouth once more, then leaned in to kiss her, gently pressing his lips against hers.

Kaname slid her free arm around his neck and pulled him down to rest his weight on her. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, urging him to press against her more forcefully. He complied, quite willingly, pushing her into the blanket and releasing her arm, kissing her more enthusiastically now. She whimpered into his mouth, and slid her hands under his shirt, needing to feel more of him, to feel closer to him.

Sousuke leaned back and pulled off his shirt, quickly settling back on top of her. She hastily grabbed at him, silently pleading for him to settle back on top of her. He leaned in and kissed her again, softer this time, more gentle. Kaname wrapped her arms around his chest, clasping her hands to rest on his back. He carefully slid her shirt up, his fingers tickling her stomach as he trailed up under the hem. He pulled her into his arms and sat them up so he could remove her shirt.

Kaname wrapped her arms around her chest and looked at him shyly. He had seen her naked plenty of times before and he certainly had never reacted in a way that made her feel worried about what he thought of her body, but at the moment… She was nervous. She was so terrified of rejection just then, worried that perhaps Sousuke would find her disgusting now, knowing that another man had kissed her before he had. Assuming Sousuke had figured it out – it certainly seemed he had, from his actions.

Sousuke reached up to lower her arms gently, murmuring softly, "Don't be ashamed, Kaname. You have nothing to be worried about," well, that wasn't quite true, but he had a feeling she was afraid he would turn her away. She really did not have to worry about such a thing. If she could accept him with all of his own demons, what kind of a person would he be if he could not accept her for hers?

Warily, Kaname let her arms rest at her sides, and the look she gave Sousuke made his chest constrict painfully. Her expression reminded him of himself from what really was not so many years ago, when he never expected any kindness from anyone. She looked as though she expected him to yell at her, belittle her, hit her, any number of things he would never do – could _never_ do to her.

"I love you, Kaname," his voice hitched, catching in the lump in his throat. He swallowed past it and looked at her seriously, hoping she would understand. "I love you, and I want to protect you from the harsh realities of this world. I haven't been doing a very good job of that, but, please," he brushed her hair out of her face and gently cupped her chin in his hand, urging her to meet his eyes. "Let me try? Let me stay by your side, Kaname."

She started crying again. He wondered if he had said something wrong, but she tackled him to the ground, sobbing against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and made gentle cooing sounds, something that just felt natural. As her sobs subsided, she leaned back to look down at him, trying to give him a brave smile, "Of course, Sousuke. I wouldn't want you anywhere else." Kaname bent her head to kiss him and he cradled the back of her head in his hand.

Sousuke tasted the bitter salt of her tears and the odd sweetness of her saliva, thickened from crying so hard and so long. It was a strange mixture, mingling with the usual delicious flavor that was purely Kaname. The new taste stirred something deep inside of him, from the depths of his primal nature. The person that had made _his woman_ like this would _pay._ For now, though, he had to deal with the matter at hand. All of his baser instincts cried for him to take her, reclaiming her as his own, reassuring her that _he was there_.

He rose swiftly, startling Kaname into yelping. She was about to ask him what was wrong when his mouth crashed on hers again, fierce and possessive. She wanted to protest against the treatment, but his unclasping her bra and discarding it to quickly claim a taut nipple between two rough fingers turned her into a quivering puddle of pleasure. She whimpered and squirmed; her mind completely shut down and gave into the strength of his will, bearing down on her until she gave everything of herself over to him completely.

He pushed her down on the ground, pinning her against the blanket, removing her shorts and his own pants swiftly along with their undergarments. He claimed her lips again for another searing kiss, stealing her breath away. When Sousuke began nipping at her jaw line, trailing down her neck, suckling on her collarbone, Kaname panted and pressed her body up against him. She tangled her fingers in his hair and tugged, eliciting a groan from him. He brought one of his hands to squeeze a breast, pinching her nipple in a way that had her squirming beneath him and begging for him. He leaned down and wrapped his lips around the other, grazing his teeth against it and swirling his tongue until she bucked into him, pleading.

His other hand trailed down her body, coming to rest between her legs. Kaname parted her thighs with little urging and whimpered again when he started rubbing. She was already quite wet, and he took advantage, teasingly slipping his finger in then out, trailing his hand up slightly to rub her clit briefly, then returning his finger. She wriggled and moaned, arching her hips against his hand, desperate for more.

Sousuke pulled his hand away, licking his fingers clean before settling completely on top of her. She wrapped her legs around him and urged him forward. He smiled at her impatience and leaned down to kiss her, gripping her hips and holding her down, deliberately holding out on her. She growled and bit his lower lip, trailing her nails roughly down his back, drawing blood on both accounts. Sousuke groaned and pulled back to lick his lip, looking down at her with lust-darkened eyes.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he pushed his way inside of her, rocking against her in a rhythm that drove her crazy. "Sousuke-," she spoke warningly, though she was gasping with every move he made. Finally, he pulled back, almost completely out of her then thrust forward to completely bury himself. They both moaned at the contact, and Kaname immediately tilted her hips against him, silently telling him to move.

He lifted one of her legs and draped it over his shoulder, thrusting into her to a rapidly quickening beat. She moaned long and loud, the sound driving him wild. He pulled out, she whimpered, and then he flipped her over, arm wrapped around her waist to hold her while she steadied herself on hands and knees. Carefully he pushed his way back inside of her, waiting for her to adjust to the change before speeding back up.

Kaname cried out his name, pushing back against him, urging him on. He bent over her, his arm still wrapped around her waist, leaning in to bite her shoulder with a low growl. She hissed in pleasure, and when his hand shifted to press against her clit she came with a scream. Sousuke moaned against her throat and nipped at her pulse point, barely slowing down. She shuddered in his arms, the blinding pleasure racking her body with orgasm after orgasm. Just as she began to beg him to slow down, to give her a break, to let her breathe, he let out a strangled shout and came inside her.

Slowly, he lowered them down on the blanket, his body still wrapped around her. She sighed happily and snuggled against him, content. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple, listening as her breath evened out and she dozed off. He would let her sleep like this for a little while. It was so peaceful out there.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: More thanks to my lovely beta for putting up with me and my insecurities, assuring me that I actually can write Kurz despite my misgivings, being my muse, and being just plain AWESOME. *luv***

**And more thanks to you reviewers, too *heart*  
**

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**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Twelve**

Kaname bolted upright. She glanced around at the strange surroundings, wondering where exactly she was for a moment before she remembered. She was on Merida Island. Sousuke had carried her back to their new home from the cliff, since she had been tired and had not wanted to walk back. She must have fallen asleep on his back, since she did not remember getting into bed.

She looked around the small room and wondered where Sousuke was. She glanced down and noticed her Bonta-kun doll in her lap. She guessed Sousuke must have dug it out of a box just for her. The gesture made her smile; _he can be so sweet sometimes. _ Kaname placed the doll on the pillow and slowly got up from the bed. Looking around, she noticed a note on the desk. Curious, she picked it up, unfolding it to see Sousuke's familiar scrawl.

_Kaname- Went to report in. Be back by lunch. Call Mao if you need anything, you can find her number on the computer. –Sousuke_

She sighed and put the note down, then looked around. The room was small - all it had was a cot-style bed, some cubbies above that, the small desk with the computer, a tiny kitchen, and an even smaller bathroom. Although, she had to admit, it was better than what they could have. They were making a special exception, giving her and Sousuke this room. If they hadn't, she would be living in barracks and would have to use an open shower. This way they at least had their privacy.

Figuring a shower might make her feel a little better, Kaname walked into the bathroom. As she stood under a stream of hot water, she let her thoughts wander. She was going to need to find some way to pass the time, because there was absolutely nothing to do in this room. She hoped she would be able to get books somehow at least. The computer was likely locked down, so she would not be able to use it casually. She had no doubts in her abilities to pass by those security systems, but she did not want to abuse her welcome.

Kaname got out of the shower and dried off, missing her hair dryer. She would have to find it later as a towel was hardly enough for her long hair. She stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, kneeling down beside the bed to pull her bag from under it. After removing some clothes, she glanced around the room as she dressed.

She glanced at Sousuke's rifle case and a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps she could learn how to fish better, and she could probably cook the meals better than Sousuke would. Knowing him, he probably would just make a campfire on the spot and cook it like that, with no preparation except maybe removing the scales. The thought made her smile and shake her head. Fish would probably get tiring after some time, but at least learning how to prepare different kinds of meals with fresh fish would give her something to do.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kaname felt loneliness swamp over her. This was miserable, trapped in a small room with nothing to do, no one to talk to. The note said to call Mao if she _needed_ anything. Granted, this was Sousuke, and everything he said always sounded more severe than it should, but she did not want to bother the woman if she was busy. She remembered Sousuke telling her that Mao had been promoted. That probably meant she was busy with paperwork and talking to personnel, and whatever else a lieutenant might need to take care of.

Growling, she kicked her bag, which she had left beside the bed. Going to Merida had been _her_ idea, so she really needed to just suck it up and get over it. Fine, so she was going to be lonely, so what? She knew that when she made the decision. No sense crying over it, she had done enough of that. Kaname stood up and marched into the kitchen. She really hoped there was food – _real_ food, not the crap Sousuke called food. When she opened the refrigerator, she was pleased to see something she could work with.

Next, she checked to make sure she even had the tools to cook with. Someone had anticipated this and stocked the kitchen with nearly all of her culinary needs. She cheered up a little and set to work making a small meal that would keep well enough. Unsure of what constituted 'lunch' to an on-duty Sousuke; she figured she could make something now so it would be ready whenever he got back. Soon enough she would learn when he would be around for meals, she guessed.

Kaname made the meal and packed up Sousuke's portion, then settled down to eat her own. If she hadn't been so hungry, or so unsure of when he would return, she would have waited for him. Clean up was quick and easy as well and she found herself at loose ends again. She could hunt through the boxes for a book, but she did not feel as though she had the patience to read at the moment.

The sound of the door opening prevented her from needing to figure something out. She heard Sousuke's voice and it seemed he was talking to someone. Wondering who it could be, she stepped out of the kitchen. Sousuke was holding the door for Tessa; both of them wearing their uniforms. Kaname put on a brave smile, though it was obviously forced, and walked up to them, "Hi, Tessa. Welcome back Sousuke," she gave her boyfriend a hug and kiss.

She knew it was petty. Tessa had obviously already conceded defeat since she had given them this room together, but she felt the need to make it clear Sousuke was _hers_. Kaname had always been a little insecure, no matter what she acted like, and recent events had made her feel even more so. Sousuke would never betray her, but she still didn't want any girls to even try. Just in case.

Sousuke and Tessa both knew what she was doing, too. Tessa tried not to let it bother her. She really had accepted their relationship, and she knew that Kaname would be on the defensive, though it irked her that the girl would still do that in front of her. Sousuke was torn between not wanting to offend his captain and not wanting to disappoint his girlfriend. Kaname won out quickly, but he felt a little guilty since he did know how Tessa felt. He wrapped his arms around Kaname and kissed the top of her head, "I'm sorry you had to wake up alone. How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday, I suppose," she sighed and burrowed her face in his chest, clinging on to him. "I, ah, made you lunch, if you're hungry. I didn't know we would have guests, but I can make you something, too, Tessa," she pulled back from him and smiled at the other girl. It was her way of apologizing - Kaname had such a difficult time with actually saying the words 'I'm sorry.'

Tessa returned the smile and nodded. "That would be wonderful, Kaname-san, I have heard that your cooking is quite good. Better than Mr. Kalinin's borscht, I hope!"

Sousuke coughed at that and shook his head, trying not to shudder at the memory. "Yes, I assure you, her cooking is far superior to Kalinin's."

Seeing Sousuke's reaction, Kaname wondered if she should be insulted. Tessa was probably just trying to make a joke, but whether it was supposed to be a jab at her - a way of saying she had things she shared with Sousuke that Kaname didn't - or if she was just trying to cheer Kaname up, the reason was suspect. Not really wanting to know which it was, Kaname just walked back to the kitchen to prepare food for Tessa and to heat up Sousuke's meal.

Sousuke showed Tessa into the kitchen and motioned for her to take a seat at the small table before he took one for himself. He watched Kaname as she cooked, and as always the sight relaxed him, even though he had somewhat bad news for the girl. He hated that he had to tell her she would be spending a lot of time alone for the next couple of weeks, but he understood the reasoning. His senses had dulled from peaceful Tokyo; he needed to be worked back into proper shape - that meant sun-up to sun-down training and more. Even now, he had only come because he was to escort Tessa over; he had to report in immediately after he ate.

Kaname set the food in front of the two, poured tea for herself and Tessa, and then sat down. She set her head in her hands with her elbows propped up on the table, and looked between the two. Sousuke went at his food quickly, causing Kaname to raise an eyebrow curiously. "Where's the fire, soldier?"

He gulped his mouthful and washed it down with water before replying, "I have to return and report in for training. Clouseux is going to run me through some harsh AS training for the next couple of weeks."

"Oh. I guess then, you, ah, won't be around much?" Kaname sounded sad and she dropped her gaze to the table.

Sousuke held back a sigh, "I'm sorry, Kaname. I really need this. I've gotten soft, even my calluses have been fading. That's not a good thing."

Kaname just nodded sadly, and when Sousuke finished his food she grabbed his plate and stood up to wash it. He was going to object, but she fluttered her hand at him without turning around and spoke with a deadpan voice. "I can take care of this; you go have fun playing with your giant robots."

"Kaname-san, that's hardly fair! If Sagara-san doesn't get this training, he has a high risk of dying on even a routine mission," Tessa thought that might help, but Sousuke just shook his head at her.

"It's all right, Madam Captain. I'm the one being unfair. Leaving her to have so much time alone, and just after we left Tokyo," he trailed off, watching Kaname's back as she washed the dishes. She was furiously scrubbing away, biting her lip, fighting back tears he could tell. He walked over to her kissed her cheek, though she didn't respond to him at all. "I _am_ sorry, Kaname. I love you," he turned and left, saying a quick goodbye to Tessa before running out the door.

Tessa stood up and brought her own plate over to be cleaned, standing next to Kaname patiently. Kaname was still washing the same dish, even though it was obviously clean. Eventually, Tessa placed her hands gently on the other girl's and looked up at her. "Kaname-san, why don't you sit down? I'll take care of these and then we can talk."

Kaname wanted to object, but she had no energy. She had been trying to keep herself at least somewhat optimistic but Sousuke's news just made her miserable again. Wearily, she complied, dropping the plate and walking over to the table, not even stopping to dry her hands. Tessa yelped when she grabbed the plate in the sink, and immediately dropped it. She quickly turned the temperature of the water down and looked down at her pink hands in shock for a moment. "Kaname-san, aren't your hands burnt?"

"Huh, oh, no, they're fine," that was a blatant lie, but it was obvious the girl did not care. Tessa tentatively began washing the dishes. She would have to find something for Kaname to do immediately, or else the girl could do some serious harm to herself. She doubted that Kaname would ever purposefully hurt herself, but with things like the hot water, she could wind up damaging herself with her lack of caring.

Tessa shook her head at the situation. She had always thought of Kaname as such a strong girl, stronger than her even. She was by no means weak, she did run an assault submarine after all, but she had her moments. She did not think Kaname had those moments, although she had to admit, being turned away by the people who were supposed to be her friends had to be painful. Though not quite on the same level, the only thing Tessa could compare such pain to would be if her crew was to mutiny. That would be a very emotionally trying experience and she would find herself facing a lot of self-doubt, which must be how Kaname was feeling at the moment.

She finished the dishes and dried her hands, staring at the wall thoughtfully while she did so. She remembered something Kaname had told her when they had been captured by the group A21.

"_When I came back to Japan from New York, I transferred into a local middle school. From my time in America, I got into the habit of saying exactly what I meant. I suppose it must happen a lot, but, well, my classmates didn't like it. I'm sure I deserved it sometimes, but still… I really wanted to die," her tone made it seem like she already had._

That Kaname reminded her of the Kaname that was sitting at the table now. A girl who wanted to be dead and who felt dead already, but would fight her depression and what made her feel that way the moment she was given a chance. At least, Tessa hoped Kaname had not lost all of her spirit, and that she _would_ fight against her negative feelings.

Tessa put down the towel and took her seat again. She gave Kaname an encouraging smile, holding her cup of tea up to her mouth with both hands. The look was part of Tessa's classic charm, and it did help Kaname cheer up a little, being smiled at by such a remarkable girl. She managed a small, trembling smile in return. "Where do you want to begin, Kaname-san?"

Kaname sighed and tilted her head back to stare up at the ceiling blankly. After a few moments, she shrugged and looked over at Tessa again. "I don't know, Tessa. I really just don't know."

"All right, well, why don't you tell me about what happens when you hear the Whispers, and how often, and such, that'll give me a place to begin for helping you," Tessa put her cup down, now with a serious expression. This topic really was too serious for anymore smiles.

Kaname nodded slowly, and looked thoughtful, as though trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "It used to be really common. I would wake up feeling tired, and as though I were floating, in class, especially math and science, I would come back to myself at the end to find all sorts of formulas scribbled in my notebook. If I tried to make sense of them afterwards, I always got that floating feeling again, as though I were losing myself, so I stopped. I, ah, did save them, though, if you want to take a look?"

"In a little while, let's keep working on this first," Kaname nodded and looked relieved at Tessa's words. "You said it _used_ to be common. What happened?"

"Oh, that," Kaname blushed. "Well, when Sousuke and I, ah, started getting close, that is, ah, when we fell asleep together," she shook her head and took a deep breath to steady herself. "When Sousuke held me while I slept, I woke up really refreshed for the first time. I don't know _why_ but for some reason being with him kept the Whispers away. It seemed like the more time I spent in really close contact with him, the more they stayed away.

"Maybe it's because I had gotten so used to not dealing with them anymore, but something in science class triggered it bad. I really lost myself for awhile, twice. I don't even remember what was being discussed in class since I hadn't been paying attention."

Tessa nodded slowly, twirling her hair thoughtfully and poking the corner of her mouth with it every so often. "I can't really say why it is you would suddenly get such a strong reaction. Unless something that either was being discussed, or something you thought of was really close to wherever your specialties lay. _Do_ you know what your specialties are, Kaname-san?"

Kaname shook her head, "Not at all. Maybe it has something with the Lambda Driver? Although I can't imagine anything in class would have been remotely close to that, and I _definitely_ wasn't thinking about anything that should have triggered anything."

"What _were_ you thinking about?" seeing the faint blush on Kaname's face made the question irresistible. She could guess, especially with the even darker red color spreading across her face now. Tessa giggled a little before shaking her head, "No, never mind, that's all right. You don't have to answer that question."

Feeling a little wicked now, Kaname put on her best cat-in-vat-of-cream look and purred, "Are you sure, Tessa? It might prove educational," Tessa blushed furiously, but managed to put on a thoughtful look, as though she were considering it. Finally, Kaname couldn't take it anymore, and she burst out in a fit of giggles. Tessa at first worried if the girl was having hysterics, but Kaname's mirth was contagious, and she found herself laughing as well.

After some time they stopped, both wiping tears from their eyes. Kaname smiled brightly at Tessa, "Thank you! I really needed that."

Tessa smiled back and nodded, "Yes, I think I did too. Thank you, Kaname-san."

Kaname stood and stretched, then looked around for a moment. "Why don't we sit on the bed? It's more comfortable than these chairs," Tessa had to agree, and she also stood up so she could join the other girl. In the main room, Kaname was rummaging through a few boxes, intermittently uttering curses as she took longer and longer to find what she was looking for. Finally, she let out a triumphant shout and pulled out a thick binder. She brought it over to the bed and sat down, patting the spot next to her as an indication for Tessa to sit down.

Tessa took the offered seat, and looked curiously at the binder. Kaname handed it to her, "These are those formulas I told you about. I always tore them out of my notebooks whenever it happened, and saved them. Throwing them out just didn't seem right. I guess I was just saving them for you, really. Someone who could make sense of them, and, maybe, if there's something in there that can help Sousuke…?"

"Of course, Kaname-san, if there's something in here that can help Sagara-san, and we can produce it, we will. I used to be in the R&D department, so I still have connections over there," she smiled sweetly and took the binder, settling it in her lap. She flipped it open and looked through the formulae. Occasionally she would whisper things, as though working through what was on the paper. Kaname felt envious. Tessa had been used to her Whispered traits for so long, that she could use her innate knowledge so casually, without losing herself.

She watched Tessa's face as the girl flipped through the pages. Towards the end, seeing the more recent of the formulae, her eyes widened, and she looked up at Kaname in shock. Kaname was taken aback, and she averted her gaze and laughed nervously, "Tessa? Tessa, what is it?"

"There _is_ something in here that can help Sagara-san, but…," she trailed off, and then glanced back at the pages thoughtfully. She flipped through to the end and shook her head. Kaname was getting anxious, and she started tapping her foot. Getting the hint, Tessa looked back up at her. "It isn't finished. It isn't something I can finish, either, it has to be _you_."

Seeing the intense look in Tessa's eyes, she nodded immediately. "Just tell me what to do," Kaname felt her strength returning. She had knowledge that could help Sousuke! That meant the world to her, and if it would be put to work for him, she would do anything to finish those plans.

"Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to some people. We've been working on a new Arm Slave in the ARX system. The AI in the Arbalest, Al, has been helping with the plans, as well as another Whispered girl. Her name is Sarah Miller. She was recovered two weeks before Sagara-san was given the mission to guard you. When she recovered from the mental anguish she had suffered, the first thing she said she wanted to do was develop something for the person who saved her from the Hind. That was Sagara-san. This system that you've started building will go very well in the ARX-8, and I think it will suit Sagara-san perfectly."

Kaname nodded slowly, realizing that what Tessa was telling her must be top secret. She doubted Sousuke knew about this plan. If he did, he probably would be angry, not appreciative, but if he had to be stuck as the only one to operate the Lambda Driver, she wanted him to have the best. She guessed Tessa felt the same, too. "Well, stop leaving me in suspense, Tessa! What _is_ it?" Tessa smiled, and the two put their heads together conspiratorially. Tessa worked on showing Kaname about the Whispered state late into the night.

* * *

Sousuke leaned against the wall in the shower room, letting the warm water slide down his body and soothe his muscles. His arms felt raw, and he even had skin peeling in some places. He had not suffered such injuries from piloting an Arm Slave since he was ten and just learning. He was disgusted with himself for it; he never should have let such a thing happen.

Loud voices sounded outside and he groaned. He did not want to deal with people, particularly not when he was in such a pathetic state. Sousuke hoped they were people that knew him. He had enough problems with people on base thinking he was just a kid and had no right fighting beside them, and in the most powerful unit in all of Mithril. Him standing under the water like a new recruit, with the skin on his forearms peeling from a day of operating the Arbalest, it was such a hopeless sight.

The men entered, and he almost sighed in relief. Kurz, Yan, Wu, and a few other mixed Special Response and Primary Response that knew Sousuke was more than capable on the field walked in. They all claimed their own showerheads, laughing and joking with each other. Sousuke was not one to join them in such antics, but now he found that he could not even if he wanted to. He was in too much pain. The thought that a day of harsh maneuvering in his military uniform instead of a pilot suit would have made him at least a little tired even at his best did not provide much consolation.

Clouseux had ordered Sousuke not to change into the suit. He had seen Sousuke's arms and knew they needed some work. By the end of the day it had been perhaps too much work, and his next day would be spent on foot. He just hoped his body wasn't too weak to handle it. He growled and banged his head on the tile behind him, frustrated with his weakened state.

Kurz, who was next to him, looked concerned. "Hey buddy, what's wrong?"

Sousuke shook his head and pushed himself off the wall, twisting the knob to shut off the water. Kurz looked after him when he left to dry himself off and change. "What's wrong with Sagara?" that was Yan. He glanced at Kurz curiously. He liked Sousuke well enough, even after the incident in Hong Kong, and it worried him that the boy seemed out of it again.

"Who knows? Probably has something to do with Angel," he didn't really sound like he believed it himself. Kurz finished his shower quickly and ran to catch up with Sousuke. Not that he really had needed to hurry. Sousuke was still in the changing room, sitting on a bench half-dressed. He had put his arms through their holes in the t-shirt, but that was as far as he'd gotten with the garment. He was hanging his head, and it looked to Kurz as though he were gasping for breath and sweating.

"Sousuke, really, what's wrong?" he sounded genuinely concerned. Sousuke was moody enough, but Kurz had been fighting beside him long enough to know when to be completely serious. "Something is bothering you, man, I can tell. So tell me. We're friends, right?"

Sousuke was silent for a few moments, before he spoke in a strained voice, "Help me get this shirt on."

Kurz raised an eyebrow, but walked over to his friend to do as requested. When he got the shirt over Sousuke's head and saw the kid's arms, he let out a gasp. "Shit! What the hell happened to you?"

He shook his head and groaned as he worked the shirt on. "I'm pathetic. I can't believe I let my body get so weak. What a stupid, reckless, idiotic thing to do."

Eyeing Sousuke critically for a moment, Kurz spoke up, "Nah man. What the hell were you going to do? Find someone to give you Indian Sunburns for hours on end to keep your calluses?"

"What the _hell_ is an 'Indian Sunburn' Weber?" that let Kurz know he was feeling really annoyed. They were friendly enough that Sousuke actually called him by his first name, but he always got formal whenever he was pissed. He didn't take it personally though, not this time.

"I'd show you, but I don't feel like letting you bleed on me. Some other time maybe," he grinned and winked at Sousuke, who just growled in response. "Hey man, what are you, some kind of wild dog or something? Chill."

Sousuke stood up and started walking out of the locker room. Kurz shouted after him and ran to get dressed quickly before Sousuke could get too far. He caught up with Sousuke rather quickly, and grinned. "I figured I'd give you a ride to your little home, Sousuke! Unless you _really_ want to walk all those kilometers with the way you're feeling, and when you have to get up so early!"

"Fine," Sousuke sighed, stopped walked for a moment and looked at Kurz, then nodded. "Thank you. That would be a big help."

Happy to have gotten through even just a little, Kurz reverted to his less serious nature. "Of course it would! And on the drive over, you're going to tell me _all_ the details of you and Angel's relationship, yes? I mean, it's practically required!"

"Kurz," Sousuke spoke warningly, but he was back to using his first name. Kurz wasn't worried.

"You can't tell me that after living with such a hot babe for – what, seven months? – that you _still_ haven't done the deed! I won't believe it! Not even you, Sergeant Somber, could be _that_ stupid."

Sousuke shook his head and sighed, clambering into the vehicle when they got to it, moaning as his stiff muscles rejected the movement. He hoped Kaname was over her anger enough to give him a massage when he got back. Assuming she was even awake, considering how late it was. "I'm not going to talk about my sex life with you, Kurz."

"Ooh, but you admit that you _do_ have one?" he smirked, feeling like he was finally getting somewhere.

"As you said, not even _I'm_ that stupid," Sousuke spat out the words, showing his distaste for being called stupid. Kurz chuckled and apologized in his usual flippant manner. The rest of the drive was in silence, Kurz not wanting to push his luck with a tired and cranky Sousuke.

When they arrived, Kurz parked outside and grinned, "Want me to open the door for you, princess?" Sousuke let out a colorful string of curses in various languages, only a handful of which Kurz could understand. "Hey man, seriously now, take care of yourself. Don't you over do it just because you feel like you have to get there quickly or something. If you injure yourself training too hard, then you're really going to feel like a fool."

Sousuke looked thoughtfully at him before nodding, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the ride, Kurz," he closed the door and walked into his quarters stiffly. During the drive, his muscles all felt as though they locked up, and any amount of moving was distinctly unappreciated.

He paused in the doorway and blinked at the sight before him. He turned and motioned Kurz not to leave. The blond put the car into park and hopped out, walking over to him. He peered over Sousuke's shoulder and let out a quiet laugh at what he saw. "Isn't that just precious," on the bed were Tessa and Kaname, a binder had been dropped carelessly on the ground, and the girls were curled up on the bed snoring softly.

"Will you take the captain back, Kurz?"

"Can I wake her up?"

"Do as you like, just make it fast," he wasn't trying to be rude, he just really needed to lie down. Kurz decided to be sympathetic to his friend, and just gently shook Tessa's shoulder instead of doing something like dump water on her. Both girls stirred and blinked sleepily.

"Mr. Weber?" Tessa yawned and stood up. "Mr. Sagara, I'm so sorry!" she switched to English, her native language, since she was so tired. Sousuke just nodded respectfully to her while Kurz gently led the girl out, deciding not to take any longer than necessary.

When Kaname made a comment about him not being his usual self, Kurz just grinned and winked at her, "It's not as much fun when you're too tired to fight back." Kaname had just shaken her head and flopped back on the bed with a sigh while Tessa made some weak objections.

After they had left, Sousuke sat down on the bed with a groan. He looked down at his tired girlfriend with a pleading expression. "Is there any chance I could get a massage, Kaname?"


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Things are going to get pretty crazy from here on... Enjoy.**

* * *

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Thirteen**

Kaname had seen Sousuke off first thing in the morning. They both had been groggy from lack of sleep, and she fussed over him to make sure he was taking care of his body properly before sending him off to another day of brutal exercise. She worried about him, really, with how much he was pushing himself. She had never seen him so tired before, and the injuries on his arms scared her even more than shrapnel in his side had. He assured her that it was better to go through this in training than in combat, and that in a few days or weeks time he would be back to his old self.

Then he had been taken off to the training yards with the promise of another late night. Kaname had nearly forgotten that she was also going to have a busy day and barely managed to tell him about her meeting with Tessa as he was being driven away. Having remembered it, she ran back into the small building to shower and change. She had no idea how she should dress, if she should be formal or dressed for labor or who-knew-what. She eventually decided on clothes that looked nice, but she had owned long enough that she would not be heartbroken if they got ruined.

A knock sounded at the door just as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and she called out for the person to enter. Tessa walked in with a smile and nodded to her with approval. "Are you ready, Kaname-san?"

"Yeah, let's do this," Kaname grinned and pulled back her sleeve as she raised her fist. Tessa giggled, happy to see the girl had gotten her spunk back. They walked out to the car that was waiting for them and got in the back seat together. On the ride to the Research and Development building, Tessa talked about some things they would have to prepare for Kaname after introducing her to the team.

There was the matter of security clearance, so that Kaname could come and go as she pleased. As a Whispered there could be times when no one else was in the building, but Kaname may have something to add that she would need the resources there for. They would also have to work out Kaname's 'placement,' it was not unheard of for them to employ people without actually making them part of Mithril, but it could get complicated. It was, however, a far simpler task when the person in question was a Whispered. They were considered too valuable to risk losing the support of with those flexible kinds of technicalities.

What that meant for Kaname was that she would not be given a rank, which all Mithril personnel were given no matter what division they worked in, and that suited her just fine. She would still be employed by them, as they were using her services, and thus she would be paid. She would also be paid quite well, as they would not have a rank to guide her pay grade on, and instead would base it off of her work. Arm Slave development being what it was, she would earn quite a bit for helping them develop weaponry to use against forces like Amalgam.

Considering what it was that Kaname would be developing, Tessa assured her that she would earn quite the hefty sum of money. Likely far more than Sousuke would earn in a year, even now that he had been restored to full-pay and full-time. Kaname did not overly care about the money, especially since she had no idea what she might spend it on, stuck on Merida Island for who-knew how long. It was nice knowing that if she and Sousuke were able to leave, though, they would have a more than adequate cushion to get them back on their feet.

They arrived at their destination at last. Kaname stepped out of the vehicle and gasped, looking around. Tessa had called it the Research and Development _building_, but in reality it was a collection of buildings in varying sizes, all connected by walkways to a central hub structure. The whole layout sprawled an impressive distance, and Tessa smiled as she gestured to the main entrance of the central office.

"This is the largest building, and so it's the one with the most room for AS building and research. This is where we'll be working, which makes things a lot simpler. If we were in one of the outlying branches, you would need security clearances for every building you would need to go through to get to the one you're working at."

Kaname gawked at the impressive building as they crossed the threshold. "That seems inconvenient," she murmured, bumping into someone as she looked around. "Oh! I'm so sorry, here, let me help you," she bent down to collect some papers that had fluttered out of the girl's hand.

"Ah, it's all right, I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention," she rubbed her back and winced as she spoke with a quivering smile. Kaname looked at the girl as she handed over the papers she had collected. The girl looked to be her age, with hair that was long and curly in a way that made Kaname somewhat jealous. She wore a long white lab coat, likely a short skirt under it since it couldn't be seen, and shoes made for comfort not style.

Tessa giggled and helped the two up. Though Kaname had spoken Japanese, and luckily the other girl also spoke the language, she switched to "Well, I'm just glad it wasn't me that fell this time," Kaname and the other girl blushed and laughed with embarrassment. Just as the girl was about to excuse herself after retrieving her files from Kaname, Tessa touched her arm gently in a motion to stay. "I'd like to introduce you two, if you have even that small bit of time?"

"Oh, ah, yes, of course," she smoothed her hair nervously and almost dropped the papers again. She giggled nervously and turned to Kaname with an equally nervous smile. Kaname returned the smile with an encouraging expression, wondering just why the girl was so jittery.

Tessa cleared her throat and clapped her hands together excitedly. "Miss Kaname, this is Sarah Miller. Miss Miller, this is Kaname Chidori! She's another Whispered like us. She will be helping with the construction of the ARX-8. Also, she's Mister Sagara's girlfriend," she smiled between the two as they shook hands.

Sarah became excited, losing some of her shyness, "Another Whispered! Oh, that's so great, maybe now the other scientists won't keep looking at me so strangely when I start saying weird things," she giggled and Kaname nodded awkwardly. It was more likely that she would just have a partner in the strange looks, not that the looks would go away. She continued on, "And Mister Sagara's girlfriend! I have to say, I'm a little jealous, but that's just because he saved me, I don't really know him at all, but he seems like such a nice guy so you must be a nice girl and I'm so excited that I'll be working with someone my own age and who must be so nice, I'm sure we'll get along great, I can't wait, we'll be friends, just you wait!"

Kaname had to fight the urge to run away from the girl who was clinging onto her hand, still shaking it. She marveled at how the girl was able to speak so long and so fast without stopping for air. Sarah's face was red however, and she was panting for air while pumping Kaname's hand excitedly. Realizing that Sarah was not likely to let go anytime soon unless broken out of her reverie, Kaname squeezed her hand and tried to take it away, "Ah, well, thank you so much. I hope we can be friends too, and I'm so glad I'll be working with someone my own age. I'll tell Sousuke that I met you, too."

Sarah blushed and let go of Kaname's hand, clutching her documents to her chest tightly, "Thank you!" her watch beeped and she glanced at it and let out a shriek. "Oh! I'm going to be late, I'm so sorry, I have to go," she ran past them, Tessa waving and shouting good-bye to the girl while Kaname timidly did the same.

After a few moments of blessed silence, she turned to Tessa with a tired expression. "Is she always so energetic?"

"Oh no, actually that's the first time I've seen her like this. I wish I had known how lonely she was working this project or else I would have tried making more time to see her. At least now she'll have you, I'm guessing she'll calm down soon enough," she took a few steps forward and beckoned for Kaname to follow.

"That's a relief," she let out a puff of air, grateful to hear that the madness she had just been subjected to would likely not be a common occurrence. She wondered just what Sousuke might have to say about the girl though. Sarah and Tessa had both just said that Sousuke had saved her, and she wondered if that was all there was to it or if they were hiding some of the story from her. Wouldn't Sousuke have said something though, if there had ever been anything before her? Sarah did say she was a little jealous, but also that she didn't really know him, so maybe there was nothing to worry about after all. It was probably just some of her paranoia kicking in, making her groan and tug on her bangs in frustration.

Tessa walked Kaname through the building to the area she would be working in, wanting to do introductions first as they had appointments to meet with some of the higher-ups to get Kaname's security clearances and other paperwork squared away closer to the evening. "Well, here we are, this is the hangar where you will be doing your work. As you can see, there are many computers here, Miss Miller and I will show you how to use them. Some of them are made just for keeping up with a Whispered, as you are likely to type quite fast while in a trance and in a way that will not make sense to anyone else. It will take your inputs and run them through a filter for the others, as well as save it in its original form for those of us who can read them."

Four people approached – three men and a woman, all clutching clipboards and wearing lab coats with safety goggles hanging around their necks. They eyed Kaname suspiciously, wondering just what such a young girl could be doing there. Never mind, of course, that Tessa was the same age and that they currently worked with an equally young girl. They knew what the Whispered were, of course, but that did not erase their skepticism. Such extravagant knowledge coming from the minds of children whom would otherwise be classified as insane was dubious to scientists such as themselves. Never mind that the Arbalest had been built by a young boy. Never mind that the Tuatha de Danaan had been designed by Tessa.

Kaname felt nervous under their stares, and she had to fight against the urge to toe at the ground or clasp her hands behind her back. She heaved a mental sigh, and lifted her chin to meet their gazes. If she was going to have to work with these people, then they would damn well have to accept her. She was more than willing to bow to their greater knowledge and experience, but if they tried to treat her like she was an idiot or insignificant, she would give them a piece of her mind. She was a Whispered and she was there to do a job. That job involved designing something to help Sousuke, and like hell she would let some huffy scientists' bruised egos get in her way.

Tessa ran through the introductions, and Kaname politely shook their hands, though she did so grudgingly. It was obvious they all felt the same, and it seemed that as soon the formalities were over they immediately dismissed her. She clenched her hands at her side and bit back a growl, glaring daggers at their turned backs. They had crowded around Tessa and were muttering things like "Colonel, take a look at this," or "Colonel, we found an irregularity in the engine output," and varying other things. Tessa dutifully took a look through all of the reports, but it was obvious to Kaname that she was just as annoyed by their behavior.

When she came across one sheet, she showed it to Kaname, "Miss Kaname, would you please take a look at this for me? I'm afraid it falls more along your expertise than mine," Tessa smiled at Kaname, who took the sheet. It was so that the people Kaname would be working with could see that she belonged there, and, really, it was the truth. Tessa would not have handed it over if she did not have full confidence in Kaname's ability to answer better than she could.

Her eyes flitted across the paper quickly, and when she reached a line in the middle, she scowled. The man who had handed over that particular sheet of paper flinched, glaring at Kaname. He clearly did not appreciate what her dark look said about her thoughts on his formula and ideas. "This is stupid," she muttered, Tessa looked up at her concerned.

"Stupid, Miss Kaname?" she warily glanced over at the man, who opened his mouth to say something before Kaname interrupted.

"Yes, stupid. Idiotic. Lame-brained. What the hell kind of plan is this? The unit would explode if this was placed in it, you'd have to be daft to think this was a good idea," she grumbled some more and glanced up at the scientists. She took note of the one trembling in rage and pointed at him, "I'm guessing you're the moron then? Just what the hell were you thinking?"

Tessa laughed nervously, raising her hands in a placating gesture. She had forgotten that Kaname lacked a filter on her mouth when she felt strongly about something, and wished she had asked the girl not to go off on one of her usual tirades if something came up. Tessa sighed inwardly, realizing that the reason that she had not thought to bring it up to Kaname was because of her recent subdued nature. She had forgotten that with the return of Kaname's usual optimism since finding out she had something to help Sousuke, would also come the return of her attitude.

Kaname went off on a tirade, explaining just why this scientist's attempt at reconfiguring the lambda driver unit to fit in the AS with a smaller cooling unit was absurdity. Tessa gave up on trying calming Kaname and just returned to the sheaf of paper in her hands sullenly. The group of scientists glared at Kaname as she went off, nitpicking every little detail on the paper. Since one of them had tried protesting by interrupting her with insults to her age and intelligence, this was her revenge. Granted, as far as insults go, having her intelligence questioned on the basis that she was too pretty to be smart was hardly all that bad. It was the principle of the thing though. Kaname was not one to let someone go unpunished.

Also, though this was her first time meeting these people and though she had never worked on a project of this sort before, she felt strongly about making every detail perfect. This was a machine being built specifically for use by Sousuke, so every single piece of the design must be impeccable. That was how she felt. From her brief meeting with Sarah, she had a feeling the other girl felt the same way, but was perhaps too intimidated by these people to assert herself as necessary. Well, that was all right, Kaname could do the bitching for both of them. Satisfied with that thought, as well as the fact that she had finished taking apart every single letter and number on the paper in her hands, she grinned widely at the pole-axed expression on the faces before her.

Tessa immediately reached out and took the paper from Kaname. "Thank you Miss Kaname! I'm glad you're on this project with your in depth knowledge on the lambda driver and all of its functions," she giggled and turned to hand the papers back to the woman who was close to her. "Well, as you can see, Miss Kaname is very knowledgeable on the subject, so please give her words the same respect and consideration as you would give mine. And, now, if you'll excuse us, I must show her the computers on the side of the room," with that, Tessa tugged Kaname away.

Kaname smirked and wiggled her fingers over her shoulder as she turned in a mocking good-bye wave to the group. She felt quite satisfied with herself, and looked very much like the cat that caught the canary. Tessa relaxed her shoulders with a sigh, and then looked up at Kaname pleadingly. "Miss Kaname, please don't worry me like that!"

"Hm? What do you mean, Tessa?" she cocked her head to the side in confusion. She thought that had gone well. Their obvious dislike of her aside, she felt she had proved she deserved to be there at the very least. She did not need them to like her in order to do the job she was there to do. As long as they respected her knowledge on the subject of Black Technology, she was content.

Tessa shook her head and rubbed the side of her head with her fingertips, exasperated. "Please, you'll be working with these people for a few months at least, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't antagonize them. The complaints will pile up and I'll be forced to deal with them, even if I do know the reasons behind it."

Kaname stared blankly at the computer system in front of her, coming to a stop before the set of machinery. She thought on Tessa's words, not having really thought of it in that light. "Well, all right. I'll try not to insult them as much when that kind of thing comes up, but you can't ask me not to correct them when they're wrong. If this is going to be used by Sousuke, like hell I'm going to let them put faulty equipment in it."

"Yes, of course, I wouldn't ask you to let something pass if it wouldn't work. Just be more, ah, shall we say, diplomatic?" Tessa smiled up at her, completely understanding.

Nodding, Kaname grinned at her, "Right. Diplomatic. I can do that, sure." Wondering just what was in store for the research group Tessa shook her head and decided she did not actually want to know.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Tessa showed Kaname how to use the computer system, not that it was difficult to teach. It was a machine designed by a Whispered to be used by Whispereds, so it was intuitive for her, really. The most confusing part was the odd keyboard, but the likelihood of the device being used outside of a trance was slim at best, and in that case, her hands would just fly flawlessly across the keys to input her information.

After that, they had gone to lunch and then began their long string of meetings. Those went well as these were people who were accustomed to seeing sixteen year old ace soldiers and submarine captains, people who knew just what it was that the Whispered were and what their value was. Thanks to the work Kaname would be doing, they found an unoccupied building closer to the research center – and, consequently, the training grounds – and said they would move her and Sousuke's belongings there the following day. Her pay would be quite exorbitant, and she had not been sure she had heard correctly when the numbers were read off to her. The security clearance was quick enough, since Mithril already had all of her information from the mission to guard her. She would begin the following day.

* * *

A few weeks later saw them in the first days of October. Sousuke sat on the bed with a report he was expected to have memorized for his mission the following day. He had finished his reconditioning nearly two weeks prior, and was grateful that there had been a reprieve before this mission came up. It was going to be highly dangerous and he needed to be in top condition, which, thankfully, he now was. He spent a long time staring at a topographical map of the area he would be in, committing every splash of color indicating the high, the low, and the even ground to memory. That information could prove extremely valuable later.

Kaname ran out of the kitchen to the bathroom and began heaving. Sousuke set down the paper and turned to glance at the door which was left slightly ajar. He stood up and walked over, pushing the door open and stepping in to hold back Kaname's hair. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and spit out every last bit of moisture in her mouth and hit the lever on the toilet. Sousuke held her elbow gently to steady her and turned the tap on in the sink so she could rinse out her mouth. After gargling with a large amount of mouth wash, she turned to him. "I _feel_ fine, Sousuke. It's just the stress I think," she rested her forehead against his chest, leaning into him. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly. Kaname sighed against him, shaking her head and tangling her fists in his shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm being stupid, I know. I just hate it when you go," she whimpered and he squeezed her tightly, feeling guilty.

"Don't be sorry, Kaname. You're not being stupid for being afraid for my well-being. There's always danger, no matter how routine a mission it is. And this mission is," he sighed and ran his hands through her hair, gently working out tangles with his fingers.

"Less than routine?" she finished for him, a cold chill causing her to shudder. "I know, I guess that's why I'm so worried. It's so dangerous, and," she trailed off, once more burying her face against him. Sousuke patiently waited for her to continue, not bothering to prompt her. He pressed a kiss to her temple just before she went on. "I don't know, Sousuke, I just don't know. I have a bad feeling about this mission, and I just really, _really_ don't want you to go!"

Kaname slumped against him and cried, her whole body trembling in his arms. He held her close, continuing to stroke her hair as he patiently waited for her to calm down. He could hate Mithril, for having him do things that made Kaname cry. It really tore at him to see her like this, especially when he was the cause, and there was nothing he could do. There was no backing out of this mission. In fact, he would not _want_ to back out of this mission even if the option were available to him. She knew this, too. She desperately wanted him to succeed at this mission, as it would mean a lot for the two of them.

She sniffled and pulled back slowly, wiping at her face. She took a few moments as well as a few deep breaths to gather herself, and then looked up at him with a serious expression. "Just promise me one thing, Sousuke?"

He shifted nervously. He hated it when she asked him to promise something when they were in a situation like this. Chances were he would not be able to make the promise. She must have known what he was thinking, because her expression immediately fell. Sousuke swallowed and nodded hesitatingly, "If I can, Kaname."

She blew the bangs away from her face and glanced away with a grimace. She wished it wasn't the best she could hope for, but then, at least she knew he would not lie to her. Or break his promise, since he would never guarantee anything if there was even a shred of doubt. "Promise me you'll come back alive? Even if you have to abandon the mission, even if you'll risk punishment at the hands of your superiors, will you please just make sure you make it back to me?"

Sousuke was silent for a while, staring off at some invisible point over her shoulder. After what seemed eternity to her, his gaze shifted back to meet hers and he answered. "I cannot guarantee that I will return alive, Kaname. But I can promise that I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that I do, even if it means turning my back on the mission," those words had cost him a great deal. Kaname threw herself at him, knowing that was the most she could hope to ever get from him, and was grateful that he would make that sacrifice for her. That he would make survival his top priority, not completion of the mission, meant everything to her.

He rubbed her back again and bowed his head to press his lips against the top of her head. He did not know how to feel about the promise he just made. It was not like him, but he felt he could understand. When Gauron had told him she was dead, he had lost his will to live, and he only sought to exist, to survive, because that was all he had ever known. Nothing was important to him, and he truly believed nothing would ever be important to him again.

Death was a large part of his life, and the loss of the person most precious to him had done him in. He could only imagine how Kaname would feel if she were to lose him. Seeing her cry, seeing her miserable – _making her cry, making her miserable_ – those things hurt him so much. If it meant turning his back on everything he had ever known just to keep her from feeling that loss he had felt, then he would do it. _Consequences be damned_.

Kaname reached up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him close to her. Sousuke tightened his grip on her and returned the kiss with fervor, slipping his hands down to lift her skirt and caress the backs of her thighs. She moaned and pulled back, panting for air. "Finish what you need to do, Sousuke. Then I'll give you plenty of reasons to come back to me, dummy," she smiled up at him and he nodded with a grin.

He returned to his files on the bed while Kaname returned to cooking their dinner. Sousuke picked up the topographical map again, as well as the few satellite photos they had managed to collect, comparing them to map out the area in his head. The area he would be at was in one of the vast untouched forests in the Primorsky Krai of Russia. Somehow Amalgam had managed to keep itself hidden out there, despite the fact that the region was one of the most prosperous of the Far-East Russian territories. The land certainly had plenty of uninhabited land, but those lands were nearly all reserves or privately owned for monitored foresting.

That was probably the explanation, now that he thought of it. Mithril had its own fair share of front companies, of course Amalgam would too. They were likely behind one of those private companies, and had made their base in a place where it would be nigh impossible to locate. He sighed and sifted through the papers, positive now that he would be able to navigate the area with confidence in his location. Though by now he had the part memorized, he pulled out the sheet with his mission parameters listed.

He was to be the defense for his comrades again. It was his job to engage any and all lambda driver equipped Arm Slave units. _Even if it was that unit that he had stood no chance against eight months prior._ He sighed and rubbed his brow, closing his eyes tightly. This mission was worrisome, he had to admit. Far too much was likely to go wrong for his peace of mind. Kaname's reaction to the mission just served to add more to the weight on his mind. Dangerous mission, needing to protect his comrades, needing to come out alive, _possibly abandoning my comrades_.

That last did not sit well with him. He promised Kaname, and he would do it if it came down to it, but that did not mean he had to like it. It was certainly not that it was beyond him, he had not always been all that concerned about those he was supposed to be fighting with. He had come to respect and even like many of his teammates in Mithril though, and the idea of betraying them was almost sickening.

Sousuke sighed again and closed up the files. _For Kaname, though… Anything._ It was not as though he were going to just up and abandon them from the get-go. That was a last resort. He was good at finding unexpected ways out of situations gone horribly wrong, no sense dwelling on the 'maybes.' That was what would get him killed if he wasn't careful. Or get his comrades killed.

Kaname poked her head out of the kitchen, and smiled when she saw the folders on the mattress beside him, closed and with all of their papers stuffed inside. "Dinner's ready, Sousuke."

He looked over at her and smiled, standing up and moving to join her. The new place was definitely better than the quarters they had stayed in for just a couple of nights when they first arrived. He had come to appreciate the feeling of a normal home when living with Kaname in Tokyo and though it was something he could easily get on without, he had felt a little sad at the thought of living in a so militant an environment again. There was a lot to be said about coming home from a long day of getting your head beat in to a warm, colorful, nicely furnished place with space, privacy, and a beautiful woman cooking dinner.

As she set the plate down at Sousuke's seat, she grinned up at him. "Reason Number One to make sure you get back: Dinner."

Sousuke raised a brow and smirked at her, taking his seat while she poured him a glass of water beside him, "What's Reason Number Two?"

Kaname put the Brita she used for filtering the tap down and leaned in to suckle on Sousuke's earlobe, drawing a gasp from him. Her warm breath hitting the cold wet as she whispered made him shiver with excitement, "Dessert."


	14. Chapter 14

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Fourteen**

Sousuke's alarm on his watch went off, and he groaned as he lifted his arms to turn it off. Kaname mumbled in her sleep and snuggled closer against him, wrapping her limbs around him to pin him down. He smiled softly at her, and carefully shifted their positions so as not to wake her. Though he knew he really should get moving, he took a few moments to stare down at her, enjoying the sight of her naked body underneath him.

The air was chill and it hit her skin, causing her to groan and reach out, searching for his warmth. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable any longer, he slipped out of the bed and tucked the covers in around her to seal in the heat. He kissed her on the forehead and stood up, walking to the bathroom to do his normal morning routine. He had no idea when the next time he would be able to bathe or clean up would be, since he had a short briefing, mission prep, travel time, and then the mission itself to look forward to.

Quickly finished up, Sousuke left the bathroom, put on his uniform, and went to the kitchen to find something for breakfast. Kaname yawned, standing at the threshold to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had the sheets wrapped around her, though they were falling off her shoulder and giving him a rather nice view. "You should still be asleep, Kaname."

"Nonsense, I'll make you breakfast, you relax while you can," the sentence was punctuated by yawns, and Sousuke found himself biting his lip to keep from following suit. She giggled at him and shooed him to the table, going through the cabinets and fridge to fish out ingredients and start cooking. "Are you going to get a chance to eat lunch?"

He saw where she was going with the question and smiled to her though she couldn't see the expression. "I'll have to spend some time in transit; it's likely that will be my only other chance to eat."

Kaname nodded as she stirred the vegetables she had sizzling in the pan, "All right. I'll pack you a bento then."

"Thank you," he stood up and went over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. "Should I grab you a robe?" he looked down at her with only the thin sheets draped over her.

She laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Thanks!"

Sousuke left the kitchen briefly to fetch a yukata she had folded up at the end of the bed. Recently she had taken to keeping one nearby, as they had a tendency to sleep in the nude, and visitors showed up without notice often enough to warrant having something on hand. When he got back, he slipped the sheet off of her, taking another moment to appreciate the view. She laughed at him, leaning back to press her rear against his groin teasingly. He moaned and leaned down to nip her neck before helping her into the yukata, sloppily tying it shut.

Even though he knew he would be getting in her way, and prolonging the time it took him to get ready, he stayed with her at the stove, arms wrapped around her while she cooked. Kaname appreciated it, leaning back against him and enjoying the feel of his arms around her while she could. He was only going to be gone for a week, but it felt to her like he would be gone for far longer than that.

The information on the mission had come in while the submarine was out at sea, and the plan was that all personnel on Merida that was to be involved would be sent out by air transport and meet up with the Tuatha de Danaan. After the mission, personnel would be returned to the ship instead of the base; the submarine would finish its two week outing, which was half over, and then return to Merida. The only way someone would be returned to base sooner was if they were severely injured or dead.

Kaname desperately hoped it would be a week until she next saw Sousuke.

"All right, sit down Sousuke, I'll plate this and bring it over to you," Kaname ordered him with a more subdued voice than earlier. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Sousuke leaving to go into danger, and she wished that the mission could have been put off for another month or two when the new Arm Slave unit would likely be completed. She would have felt a whole lot better about him going if he had her design in his unit.

Sousuke nodded and leaned around her to kiss her cheek before taking his seat. She brought over his food, utensils, and a glass of water and then got to work on packing his lunch. She wished she had woken up earlier and could have made him a fresh meal, but all she could do for him now was to pack up leftovers. As she was taking the food out of the refrigerator, she felt her stomach churn again. She cursed the stress she was feeling at him leaving, and threw the containers on the counter then ran to the bathroom.

Concerned, Sousuke stood up and followed her. He repeated his actions from the night before, holding her hair for her and trying to soothe her. "Are you sure you're all right, Kaname? Maybe you should see one of the doctors today," he kept her hair back while she washed her face and rinsed her mouth, gently rubbing the small of her back with his free hand.

"No, I'll be fine, it's just stress. Nothing they can do for that, and they'll probably tell me not to work when getting my mind off you being gone will be the only thing that will work for me," she sighed and leaned back into his hold when she finished cleaning up. "I'm sorry, Sousuke. Worrying you like this right before your mission…"

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into the crook of her shoulder. "It's all right, as long as you're sure it's only stress. You'll feel better tomorrow when the mission is over, right?"

Kaname nodded and turned in his hold to kiss him. "Go finish breakfast. You're going to be late enough because of me," she wanted to keep him there and not let him go, but she knew that being concerned about his tardiness was one of the only ways she could show her support of him. Just because she did not want him to leave did not mean that she should not give him encouragement when doing so. He would be in danger. He might not come back. The last thing she ever wanted was for what could be their last time together to be marred with negative feelings and anger.

"All right," he slowly released her and returned to the kitchen with her following. Sousuke quickly finished his meal while she packed up his lunch, and before either of them knew it he was at the door and prepared to leave. He stood on the threshold of the open door, looking down at her with worry. Kaname scuffed at the floor with the balls of her feet, staring at the ground. He gently cupped her chin with his hand and lifted her face to meet her gaze.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and he leaned in to press his lips against the corners of her eyes before enfolding her in his arms. "Sou-suke-," she whined against his chest, pressing herself completely against him. He tightened his grip then pulled back to get a better look at her. He gently urged her to look up at him again, then leaned in and kissed her. The kiss started as a gentle pressure that melted her heart at the emotions she could just feel pouring through him. Soon enough it became more desperate, Sousuke pushing roughly against her, his tongue slipping between her lips to war with her own.

Kaname moaned, completely surrendering herself to the onslaught, her trembling legs threatened to give out on her until Sousuke wrapped an arm tightly around her waist to support her. They had no idea just how long they stayed like that, gripping each other close and tight – neither willing to release the other. A car horn beeping caused them to come apart, Sousuke steadying Kaname as he let go and had her resting all of her weight on her legs again. Kurz waved from the car, grinning, and Mao spoke up from the driver's seat, "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but we really gotta get going, Sousuke!"

With a sigh, Sousuke nodded and then looked back down at her, stroking her cheek softly. "I love you, Kaname."

"I love you too, Sousuke. I'll, I'll see you in a week then?" she bit her lip nervously, glancing up at him from lowered lashes. He nodded and leaned down to kiss her once more, then turned and left, never looking back. She watched the car speed off, fighting back tears. He was getting into the mind set he would need to be in for the mission, she knew that. It would have just made it harder on him if he had turned to see her one last time. She needed him in top mental condition. She needed him to come back to her.

Watching after him for several long moments, Kaname finally turned and walked back into their home. She took her time in preparing for work, it was still early, and even with taking so long she still left far ahead of schedule. It was going to be a long and miserable two days while she waited on finding out the mission results.

* * *

Kurz decided not to tease Sousuke _too_ much on their drive to the complex where the briefing room was. Mao had reached over to punch him, swerving the car towards a row of trees in doing so. She had driven like that on purpose. She could beat him easy enough without looking, so accustomed to doing so as she was, but the intimidation factor worked wonders. When he had gotten the courage to do it again, the sullen expression on Sousuke's face made him stop completely.

They arrived and rushed into the building, running to the briefing room they were supposed to be at ten minutes prior. It wasn't until they had reached the doors that Sousuke realized it was odd for his two teammates to have been late as well. And just how exactly had they figured he would be late and so showed up at his place to give him a ride? He watched the two carefully as they entered before him, curious. It was something he would have to wait to ponder though as the moment he walked through the door Kalinin handed him another folder for his examination.

The three took their seats in the back where they normally sat and flipped through the papers they had been handed. Sousuke was given another sheet describing his objective, and was satisfied to see nothing new in his folder. Another copy of the images of the zone in case he had not taken the time last night to memorize it. Though he had, he took another look through, glad to see his memory was true to the maps. Kalinin gave the group another brief rundown, though by now all of them were well aware of exactly what to expect, then sent them off to ready what they would need.

Arm Slave pilots reported to the hangar where their units were kept, and they all found their engineers to go over all the details and decide what settings to use, as well as what weaponry to bring. Sousuke decided to sacrifice mobility early on, and had the Arbalest loaded down with all of the weapons and ammunition it could carry that he would use. He was taking no chances with running out again. He decided that when he got there, he would find a place to stash some of his weapons, and do his best to sneak up on Venoms and take them out with his monomolecular cutter, rather than any of his limited weaponry.

The next few hours flew for the crew, working so intently on making sure everything was perfect. High-stress and high-danger mission, no one was taking any chances. While the Arbalest was being loaded down with equipment, Sousuke sat in the hatch talking to Al, reviewing the few details they had managed to acquire on that new Arm Slave he had encountered. Eventually he was kicked out of his machine and sent to the transport waiting for him and the others.

Sitting in his seat, Sousuke leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes and taking the time to let his old familiar calm wash over him. Kurz and Melissa sat close to him and talked to each other for a few minutes, letting him be until he was ready. They all had their pre-mission rituals and respected their space until the other was ready. After some time, he opened his eyes and looked at them, blinking slowly. They turned and grinned at him, and Kurz leaned forward with a laugh, "So, Sousuke, Kaname send you off with anything?"

Sousuke nodded. It was common knowledge by this time that whenever he was sent somewhere, Kaname would pack him a meal. Some teased him for it because of his age, tauntingly asking if mommy had made it for him. The first time that happened, he had corrected the person, saying he had no family and that it was his girlfriend who had sent him off with the food. Of course, that just opened him up to a whole new realm of teasing, and he opted to just ignore them and keep his mouth shut. It worked for him in the past, no reason it wouldn't now.

It really didn't bother him when his friends commented on it. He knew it was all in good fun where they were concerned, and that really they were just happy for him. Kurz had even said so on several occasions – he wouldn't be joking with Sousuke if he had thought it was a bad thing. If Kurz were being serious, that would be when Sousuke should worry about what his friend thought of the situation.

Reminded of his lunch, Sousuke reached under his seat for his bag that was strapped down and took it out. He was pleased to see that Kaname had packed up all of the leftovers in several boxes along with a note that said the extra was for Melissa and Kurz. He mentioned it to the two, who happily took the food from him and wolfed it down, while he did the same with his own. It was almost surprising just how much energy preparations could take, and the three refueled themselves greedily.

"Thanks, Sousuke! I'll have to make sure to thank Kaname when we get back," Melissa handed back her box with a smile. Kurz did the same along with a similar comment though accompanied by an exaggerated wink that earned him an elbow under the ribs. Sousuke nodded to the two and packed everything up, then leaned back to watch his closest friends bicker with each other from half-closed eyes.

It took him some time, but finally it dawned on him exactly what it was about their behavior that had him wondering what was different. He lowered his head and grinned, pretending to take a nap while they argued and teased each other. _Like a married couple, as they say._

* * *

It was hot in the cockpit of the Arbalest, Sousuke noted. He wasn't usually this uncomfortable, but he had been running the unit for so long that it had shut down the less necessary functions just to maintain power to keep in reasonable operating condition. The mission was FUBAR, a good chunk of their ground units in the infiltration team had been wiped out. The remaining soldiers were rushing to leave, but at the same time they had to take the time to be cautious and not lose anyone else.

Arm Slave opposition had been high. The numbers were staggering, really, and it was a very long and difficult battle thus far. His friends in the M9s were trying to take out the more conventional weaponry, as well as any opposing ground forces they came across, but it seemed at every turn there was a squad of Venom-types. There had been a lot of retreat orders issued, and Sousuke had been sent in to dispatch each unit quietly and effectively before the M9s could advance again. Even with his cache of weapons and his efforts to use as little ammo as possible, he found himself running low regardless. Several hours of fighting would do that, though. He also had to be conservative in his use of the lambda driver, not wanting the system to overheat and become useless.

Finally, he got the notice that their ground forces had been successfully extracted, and now the Arm Slave team just had to make it back to the Extraction Point, where the AS transports were waiting for them. He made sure the M9s had the head start before working on his own retreat, rushing after them in hopes that they were going as fast as their units would allow and not running into any more forces. That was when, as in the last mission, that new machine appeared before him.

"Shit, Uruz Seven to all, I've encountered that strange enemy AS unit again," he muttered the words through gritted teeth, bracing himself for an impact he could not evade.

Melissa's channel opened to him, "Can you outrun it, Sousuke?"

He ran a check on all of his equipment, and swore when he saw the state the joint shocks were in, "Unlikely, the legs would fall apart if I put that much pressure on them now."

Sousuke heard Kurz swear in German over the line, something he had never done before, "I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Kurz! What are you doing?!" Melissa screamed after him. "Oh, you idiot, can't even wait for a plan or orders?! All units, retreat as planned, Uruz Six and I will retrieve Uruz Seven!"

Sousuke tried to outmaneuver the enemy to retreat, but with decreased functionality and the high heat output from his machine, it was proving far too difficult to hide and make an escape. A bullet came from somewhere above the forest to hit the machine chasing Sousuke. The enemy's lambda driver operated perfectly, however, and the pilot did not even bother to slow down. Shots came from both sides now, the same as before was the sniper rounds Kurz preferred, and the opposite side had Melissa with her shot cannon blasting on full auto.

Still, though, the enemy continued on, bearing down on Sousuke who was trying to use the foliage to his advantage. With the lambda driver, the bullets meant nothing, and it was clear to all three that the person piloting this unit was exceptionally skilled with the odd device. Far more so than anyone they had encountered before. He heard his teammates swearing over the line, wondering just what it would take to slow the enemy down.

He would have used the same tactic he had last time, laying a claymore mine out to be tripped and slow him down for even a moment, except he had used his supply up earlier setting traps. Now, he cursed his idiocy, wishing he had thought to save even one for this inevitable battle. He barely managed to dodge a shot aimed at him, but the explosion of the tree beside him caused the Arbalest to rock unsteadily, warnings sounding and flashing on his screen.

Leg functionality had reached nearly zero, and with every motion he felt the reaction time slow down more and more. Sousuke relayed his situation to his comrades, who worked to keep up with his retreat without getting close to the enemy. They had been lucky thus far, that their opponent did not seem to deem them worth his time, though in many ways, that was also bad. They stood no chance in holding their own in a fight against it, but they wanted it to take its attention away from Sousuke long enough for him to escape.

"Do you think you can abandon the Arbalest and get away on foot for one of us to pick up?" Melissa asked, though she had a feeling the answer would be no.

"Negative, the enemy would destroy this unit before I could make it a safe distance away," he had been thinking the same thing, but there had been that problem to consider. Even with all these decreased functions, he was still safer inside the Arbalest than out.

It was inevitable, really. The warning bells chimed again, the entire cockpit was red with signals, lights blazing in and out, and it was a nauseating effect, making him feel like he was having a red-out. The last thing he heard was both Melissa and Kurz screaming his name over their link before a loud roar. Al reported activation of the lambda driver before going silent, and he felt something akin to a wave of fire engulf him before there was nothing.

* * *

Kaname leaned back in her chair and sighed, rubbing her eyes. Staring at the computer screen for hours on end was drying out her eyes and giving her a headache. She had gone back to sleep for a few hours, but without Sousuke there, she had found rest impossible. The stress was really getting to her, though she had managed to hide getting sick from the people she worked with. Sarah was a close call, walking into the public restroom in their building just as she finished cleaning up.

She glanced at the clock and sighed. It was lunch time now. A full day had passed since Sousuke had stepped onto his transport to Russia. The mission should be over by now though, and she wondered if she would hear from the Tuatha de Danaan anytime soon. It would be nice if Tessa could let her talk to Sousuke, though she knew the chances of that were slim. Kaname sighed again and stood up to stretch; thinking a walk in fresh air would do her good. The door opened and Sarah walked in with two people very familiar to Kaname following her.

Melissa and Kurz looked troubled, and she took a step away from them, afraid. She started shaking her head, not wanting to hear what they had to say, she covered her ears and closed her eyes. Sarah looked between the three, confused and concerned. She had not heard just what it was the two she had accompanied had to say, just that they needed to speak to Kaname and had clearance to go to her.

Scooping her into a hug, Melissa patted Kaname's head and slowly drew down her hands. "He's alive, still, Kaname. He's in bad shape though. I don't think you'll be able to see him, but we wanted to bring you to him, so you could be there for him," she spoke softly, returning to smoothing down her hair. Kaname cried into her shoulder, choking on harsh sobs that tore through her entire body. Tentatively, Kurz reached out and placed one arm around Melissa, who fought back tears of her own, and the other around Kaname, drawing both girls to him.

After a few moments, Melissa won the battle and drew back with a grateful nod to Kurz. Gently, they coaxed Kaname into leaving with them, giving a brief explanation to Sarah on their way out. The drive to the medical buildings on base seemed unnaturally long with an eerie silence filling the vehicle. Kaname had stopped crying and was just staring at the back of the seat in front of her blankly. The two up front exchanged worried glances, seeing what condition the girl was in.

It had shocked both of them when Kaname spoke up, her voice low and dull, lacking any strength. "You said he's in bad shape? How bad?" she had a feeling she knew. He wouldn't have been rushed back to Merida if it wasn't something serious.

It took a moment, and Kurz was the one who answered, Melissa tightening her grip on the steering wheel and staring ahead. "It's… very bad. If he had been in a normal AS like the M9s, he'd have died. The lambda driver saved his life, but the Arbalest was completely destroyed. He inhaled a lot of smoke from the explosion, and his body is covered in lacerations and burns. _Most_ of the burns are superficial, but he has patches on his back, where the fire came at him from, that are severe.

"They're going to keep him knocked out on morphine for at least a week with his burns being what they are. It's safer for them to do that and wean him off an addiction later than to let him wake up in his condition," Kurz was repeating everything the doctors had told him and Melissa. It wasn't a pretty picture, and he knew he had to be hurting Kaname with his words, but she needed to know the truth. Better to hear it from a friend than a complete stranger.

Kaname sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. She had known something would go wrong, but she had managed to convince herself _this is Sousuke. He always comes out all right, no matter what the odds_. The only thing comforting about the situation at all was that he was _alive_, and that was hardly any consolation given his condition.

They pulled up in front of the building and walked in. Since they had been the ones to accompany Sousuke and hear the initial diagnosis, Kurz and Melissa knew where he would be. They brought Kaname to Sousuke, and talked to the doctors about what they may have missed while gone.

Sousuke was in the process of having his burns scrubbed clean to prevent infection; they had stopped the bleeding and got him into stable condition. He was heavily sedated to avoid risk of him waking up and going into shock from the severe pain. He would need to be bandaged before he could have visitors. For the first day or two he would have his bandages changed and the burns scrubbed every two hours or so, the time increasing over the days as the risk of the bandages healing into the wound as well as infection grows less and less.

His airways had been cleared on the way in as they did what they could with the sparse medical equipment on the transport. They had been able to risk the time to drop off the equipment that was loading down the chopper as well as most of the people onboard. One of the medical experts on board, Peggy, had been the only addition to the flight, along with what she felt she might need to care for him that she was actually able to bring. The stop had not slowed them down; in fact, it made their trip to Merida go much quicker since they could move much faster without so much extra weight.

Thanks to their initial treatment, Peggy's subsequent, and the Merida Base's hospital crew last, Sousuke's odds were looking very good. As long as he stayed out for the worst of the healing process, he would be fine; though pumping him with so many drugs was worrisome. They would be monitoring his liver and kidney functions carefully just in case. It would not be until they could allow him to wake that they would find out if he had suffered any brain damage from smoke inhalation. Their monitors looked as good as one might expect from a person so heavily injured that they could not make any accurate guesses on that for the time.

By the time the doctor had finished going over the charts with them, explaining every last detail to Kaname at her insistence, they were finally allowed to see Sousuke. Kaname let out a strange noise from the back of her throat when she saw him, the strangled high pitched sound making Melissa, who had her head close, wince and pull away. Kaname ran over to Sousuke's side and stared down at him lying prone on the bed. She lifted her hand to reach out to him, and then let it fall to her side. Touching him did not seem like it would be a good idea at the moment, so she found a chair and yanked it over to his side instead.

She sat down and rested her head on the edge of the bed, staring up at his sleeping face. They had him on his left side, keeping him off the severe wounds on his back and in a position that made his circulation even just a little better. He was hooked up to several machines, the morphine drip, vitamins, antibiotics, and fluids being given to him intravenously as well as what was needed to monitor his condition.

It almost seemed as though he were a mummy, though they assured her the majority of the bandages would be removed soon enough, they just wanted to minimize the risk of infection in his lacerations. Someone gave her a pillow to rest her head on, and in the buzz of background noise she could hear people talking about the chances of setting her up with a bed in the room with him. By the time Sousuke was taken away for another round of burn care, she had been told they would be able to let her stay there, and before he was returned a bed had been brought in.

Later on in the day, Melissa came in with a bag of clothes for Kaname, saying that she would come around and do the laundry for her whenever it was needed. Kurz brought in some food for the three to share, thinking that the odds of getting Kaname to eat would be higher if they took their meal with her.

Over the course of the next week that was the pattern that had been set. Kurz, Melissa, and – when the Tuatha de Danaan returned – Tessa would bring meals to Kaname, making sure the girl kept fed. When Sousuke was taken for care, Kaname would tend to her needs such as showering or relieving herself. The only times she left the room with Sousuke present were when she could not hold it in, or when she had to throw up. The latter occurred far too often for her liking.

At the end of the week they decided it was safe to take Sousuke off the sedatives completely, having decreased the amount as less was needed to cover the pain. They would monitor him closely to know whether or not they would have to put him back on, due to either pain or addiction. They had never gotten their answer however. He did not wake up as they had expected him to. His brain functions seemed normal, and they could only conclude that his body had ordered itself to maintain the recessive state until more healing had occurred. Their explanations and assurances did little to make Kaname feel better.

* * *

**AN: Why yes, I am evil.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Delicious citrus ahead, obvious enough where it starts, I put a line at the end even though it's all part of the same scene, but for those that want to skip it the end is easier to notice this way.**

* * *

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Fifteen**

Kaname lay on her bed in the hospital room, the cot pressed up against the one that held Sousuke. She watched his face, holding his hand, hoping for any sign of change. It had been a week since they had taken him off the sedative. The doctors had tried assuring her that this was not the time to worry; he was maintaining all of his brain functions, his body just needed to finish its recovery on its own terms now.

There was only so much that medicine and treatment could do, they had given him all the help they could, now to let nature run its course. If anything looked like it would change for the worse, they had drugs they could use to wake him up, but they insisted it was best to let him have the rest for some time.

Finally, there was something. She sat up in the bed sure that she had just seen his expression change. After a few moments, Sousuke grimaced in pain and groaned, slowly blinking his eyes as he came to awareness. Kaname held her breath, staring down at him, watching him look around in dazed confusion. When he was satisfied he knew his location, he turned his gaze to her. His jaw worked as he tried to speak, and he frowned when no sound came out.

Kaname turned and reached for a bottle of water she had, then helped him carefully sit up and drink the liquid, a little at a time so he could get used to swallowing again. She put the cap back on the bottle and set aside, reaching out to swipe his bangs out of his eyes and gently touch his face. His expression softened and he leaned into her touch, kissing her hand when it grazed past his lips.

"How do you feel?"

Sousuke cleared his throat before responding, voice harsh from air tearing through his dry throat, "Like shit," he answered briefly and frankly. She had never heard him talk like that before, and she giggled at his candidness. "I'll be all right though, I think. Everything hurts but I feel like I'm intact," he made a face and looked down at himself, noting the fresh scars marring his body. "What about you, Kaname?"

She gave him a trembling smile, trying to be brave for him as she lowered him back down onto the bed. "I'm all right, I guess. Tessa, Mao-san, and Kurz have all been looking after me, bringing me food and clothes so I could stay here with you," she squeezed his hand and he nodded slowly, wincing when he settled down completely.

"How bad is it?" he asked her, noting all of the machines he was hooked up to. She squeezed his hand again and looked away, a bitter expression crossing her face. He tightened his grip on her hand, though he frowned at the lack of strength he found he had.

With a sigh, she turned back to him and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead before answering. "It was pretty bad for awhile. You've been out for two weeks," he flinched, "the first was because they kept you sedated. It took a full week for you to come out on your own though. Your back is pretty badly burned, which is why they kept you out, and you have a lot of cuts from shrapnel tearing across your body. From everything I've heard though, it's a miracle you're even alive, let alone in that," she paused and made a face at her next words, "_good_ of shape."

Sousuke nodded slowly, understanding. One of the nurses stepped in to check on his vitals and noticed he was awake. She called out the door then walked over to them, berating Kaname for not alerting them. Sousuke scowled at the nurse and said he had just woken up and that she should not speak to her like that. Kaname smiled and shook her head, leaning in to give him another kiss. It was just like him to defend her, no matter what his condition. She felt good, seeing that he still had his fighting spirit despite everything. She felt her own strength returning from the protective display.

Kaname was sent off to the side while they ran a string of tests to determine his cognitive awareness. Throughout the whole exam he scowled, not appreciating the way they were fussing over him and pushing Kaname away. He assured them multiple times that he was quite alright, knew exactly when it was, who he was, where he was, and what had happened to him. He knew what head injuries felt like, he'd certainly had his fair share of them, and he was fine. The doctors ignored him and continued their questions, as well as poking at him and inquiring about his pain.

After what felt like ages, the doctors finally let him be, saying they wanted to keep watch on him for twenty-four hours before they would let him go. They went over instructions regarding his care with the two of them, how to tend his burns, which were not as bad now. The medications he would be leaving with and what doses to take them in when. They also included a recommended diet to ease his body into accepting food again as well as promote good healing, particularly for the burns.

The two lay on the beds facing each other, holding each other's hands and just enjoying being together. Kaname finally felt as though she could believe the doctor's insistence that he would be already, and with the release of tension, she noticed just how sore all of her muscles were. Sousuke was content just to be with her. Suddenly, she leapt off the bed and ran to the small bathroom, and he could hear her retching. He frowned and struggled to sit up, groaning as pain lanced through his body.

Several agonizingly long minutes passed before she came back, and when she saw him, she rushed to his side. He was sitting up, his knees drawn up to his chest, panting and sweating from the pain. She eased him down and asked him if she should call in one of the doctors. He reached around for her hand, eyes shut tight in a grimace, and he squeezed her hand before gritting out an answer. "I'll be fine. But, what about you? You're still getting sick?"

"It's nothing, Sousuke, I'm fine."

He growled and shook his head, forcing his eyes open so he could look at her. "Kaname… You're not fine. It's been two weeks now? And you're still getting sick? Please-,"

"_Sousuke_, don't, please. I'm fine, I promise," she had cut him off, hoping he would drop it. He stared at her, the pain in his eyes from more than just his physical injuries, and finally he sighed and acquiesced, albeit unwillingly. She squeezed his hand in thanks just as the door opened and Melissa, Kurz, and Tessa walked in bearing breakfast.

Immediately, Sousuke was pounced upon by Melissa and Kurz. At first he was confused by the onslaught of apologies from his two teammates, and it took him a few minutes to sort through their jumbled words and realize just what it was they were saying. Slowly, he shook his head, "Uh, what is it exactly you're sorry for?"

They stopped and looked at each other, then back at him. Melissa smiled sadly and shrugged, "I feel like we should have been able to do more for you. This should never have happened, Sousuke."

"Nonsense, the enemy was far superior and equipped with a lambda driver. The Arbalest was already at its limit. It is far more likely that, if you had not been there to extract me immediately, I would have died," as he spoke, he tilted his head to the side, considering his own words. "Just… how exactly _did_ you get me out?"

They exchanged looks again, and this time Kurz was the one that answered. "It was pretty strange man, I gotta say. After that guy destroyed your AS he just left. Bastard taunted us too, waving before getting away," he growled, balling his hands into fists that shook. Sousuke decided not to dwell too much on it. The Arbalest had been the only piece of equipment in all of Mithril which could stand against Amalgam's superior technology. It stood to reason that it was the only thing they perceived as a threat, and having gotten rid of it, Mithril was now considered insignificant.

He did feel some regret, however. Although he had really hated that machine and its snarky AI in the beginning, he had grown to appreciate and even like Al. The destruction of the unit gave him a strange sense of melancholy. It felt as though he had lost a friend, even if it _was_ just a machine. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Almost immediately he could feel Kaname leaning over him, she brushed his hair away and touched his face. He opened his eyes to look up at her and saw she had a worried expression. "Are you all right, Sousuke? How's the pain?"

Sousuke smiled softly, "I'm fine. The pain is same as before. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

Satisfied with his answer, she sat back up, though she left her hand where it was. The touch soothed him, and he turned his head to increase the contact. She continued eating her breakfast one-handed, leaving the other to run through his hair and caress his face. Halfway through the meal, she felt her stomach churn again and swore as she found herself once again running to the bathroom. Sousuke stared at the closed door, wishing desperately that he could go after her.

"Is she all right?" Melissa asked, glancing down at him.

He grimaced and shook his head, "No. She was throwing up before I left, too. She _says_ she's fine, that it's 'just' stress. She refuses to see anyone about it," he sighed, "though it would make me feel a lot better if she would just get examined. She can be so stubborn."

They all nodded, and Melissa gently placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Well, don't worry. We'll help you convince her, if we have to drag her in front of Peggy ourselves!"

Sousuke smiled gratefully up at her. He felt so useless, stuck in bed, unable to go to her side when he felt she needed him. When Kaname came back, she had her head lowered so her hair hid her face. She just _knew_ they would all get on her case now, there was no way any of them would let her illness go unexplained, and with Sousuke injured, it was obvious there was no sympathy left over for her. Then tension in the air just furthered her worries, and Kurz was the first on to speak up.

"So, Kaname… Normally when a person throws up several times, they see a doctor," he grinned mockingly at her, and she looked up at his expression and glared.

She huffed and squared her shoulders, thrusting her nose into the air haughtily, "Of course they do, when they have no explanation. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so it's obvious I would be sick."

"That's a load of bull and you fucking know it," Melissa spat out, giving her a dark look. "Now you listen to me. Either you go see Peggy _today_, and I _will_ call her to find out, or tomorrow I'll drag you down there myself. Don't think for a moment I'll go easy on you, either!"

Kaname looked at Sousuke and saw he was staring at her intently. He made no move to defend her to Melissa, and she realized she had used up the last of his patience on the matter. Of course, his patience when it came to her well-being was on the short side to begin with. Her shoulders sagged with defeat and she nodded. "All right, all right. Fine. You win. I'll go see Peggy after lunch."

"Promise?" Sousuke's voice was hard to hear, but in the silent room the harsh whisper carried to her ears. She winced at the pain in his voice and nodded.

"Promise."

* * *

After the scene at breakfast, Sousuke fell back asleep, waking up when everyone returned for lunch. Kaname was retching again and they all sighed and shook their heads. "Honestly, how could she just let something like that go?"

"I wish I knew," Sousuke watched the door to the bathroom the whole time she was in there. She looked around guiltily when she saw the others there and sighed. They had her eat and then Melissa and Tessa dragged her out of the room, taking no chances that she would skip out on her promises. She muttered about them not trusting her the whole way down.

Melissa just turned a dirty look on her, "Of course not. Why should we? You keep blathering on, saying you're just fucking peachy when you're obviously not, and you fucking expect us to trust you now?"

Kaname winced at the cruel words. "Okay, you got me there. But I _promised_ Sousuke I'd go. I wouldn't break my promise to him."

"Of course not Kaname-san, but this will give _all_ of us some peace of mind," Tessa smiled gently up at her, hoping to bring her around. Kaname just nodded in understanding and grudgingly let them tow her through the halls to Peggy's office in the base hospital. "Miss Peggy, would you please look after Miss Kaname?" she spoke sweetly when they walked in, though concern was in her voice.

Peggy looked up and smiled. "Yes, of course. You two run along and I'll make sure she's taken care of."

"Thanks, Peggy. Don't let her run, either, stubborn girl was hard to get down here," Melissa smirked at Kaname as she walked out, hearing the girl sputter in anger behind her. Tessa said her own good-byes and rushed after her, shutting the door on her way out.

After they left, Kaname fidgeted nervously, looking over at Peggy who had a kind and patient expression. "Now, sit down and tell me just what's wrong. And what did she mean that you were hard to get down here? Please don't tell me you've been ignoring your health."

Kaname took her seat and blushed. "Well, it's just that, I figured I knew what was wrong and that there was no point in worrying about it. I was so stressed and worried – literally – sick about Sousuke from the time he got that mission assigned to him. I started throwing up then, and, well, I've thrown up several times a day every day since."

Peggy nodded slowly and understandingly. With Kaname's nervousness she had a feeling there was more to it, and she knew exactly what it would be. "Well, I'll just take your vitals and a urine sample and you can go back to the sergeant. He's going home tomorrow, right?" Kaname agreed. "Good, you go home as normal and I'll give you a ring when I get the results, all right?" Relieved, Kaname smiled and submitted to the tests, anxious to return to Sousuke.

* * *

Sousuke bit his lip to avoid crying out in pain. Every time the car jostled even the tiniest amount he could feel all of his injuries throbbing. He had been cleared to return home as expected, and though he was looking forward to being there, he found the interim to be extremely unpleasant. Kaname watched him helplessly, wanting to help him but knowing that touching him would just make him feel worse. She had tried.

It was not soon enough that they finally pulled up to the house, and Sousuke sat back in the seat gasping. They went ahead to open the door and pull down the sheets so they could rush him straight into the bed without any delays. Before he could relax too much they brought him in, letting him finish getting over the pain that transportation had caused him in comfort.

Kurz and Melissa helped Kaname clean up around the house, since she had not been there once after Sousuke was brought into the hospital. It felt good to be at home, even if she did have to clean. She really did not mind the chore, actually enjoying the domestic role. The two left when it was clear they were settled in, saying they would visit the next day and if Kaname or Sousuke needed anything they were just a phone call away. Kaname settled into the bed next to Sousuke, grateful to be able to finally be so close to him. He slung an arm awkwardly over her, holding her close to his chest and breathing in the sweet smell of her hair.

Kaname trailed her fingertips gently over his body in the areas that were not too terribly injured. He sighed at the touch, closing his eyes and a peaceful expression crossing his face. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him timidly. He immediately slid his tongue into her mouth and she moaned, shifting closer to him. Feeling pressure on a particularly painful injury made him flinch away, and she pulled back with concern. "I'm sorry, Sousuke! Are you all right?"

He bit his lip and then nodded, "Yeah. I'll be fine."

She settled back down the way she had at first, looking at him apologetically. He gave her a regretful look, the expression showing just how much he wanted to be close to her. As Kaname pushed his messy hair from his face, idly noting that she needed to give him a hair cut as soon as he could sit up for a good amount of time, an idea came to mind. She smiled at him and sat up. Sousuke saw the almost wicked expression on her face and found himself intrigued, though a little apprehensive.

"Can I take off your shirt, Sousuke?" she asked, biting her lip anxiously and giving him a heavy-lidded look that had him groaning and willing to agree to anything. Carefully, slowly, she helped him into a sitting position and unfastened the clasps the shirt. They all had agreed that a button-down shirt would be best for him for quite some time, no one wanting to make him lift his arms over his head or peel fabric over his back. Kaname straddled him, paying attention to where her weight settled so as not to press against him again, and slid his shirt off. She did this deliberately, trailing kisses along the uninjured and healed patches of skin, which was a thankfully far larger percentage of his body than had been two weeks prior.

Sousuke closed his eyes against the sensations, giving himself over to the pleasant tingle that coursed through his body. While sitting up still took a lot of his strength, he would be perfectly content to stay in that position forever if it meant feeling so wonderful under her ministrations. After throwing the shirt on the floor, Kaname leaned over him to rearrange the pillows and lower him down onto his back, watching his face for any sign of pain. When he was completely settled, she smiled softly down at him, "Any pain?"

He shook his head and she nodded with a satisfied grin. She removed her own shirt, followed by her bra and gave him a look that had him trembling with anticipation. He did not know what exactly it was she had in mind for him, but he was oh-so-excited to find out. He felt almost nervous, the same anxiety of the unknown coursing through him as she gently teased him in a way she never had before. Their love-making had always been a fight for dominance, this was the first time he had allowed her to have her way with him, and he began to wonder just what kind of an idiot he really was for not surrendering himself sooner.

Kaname knelt on the ground beside the bed and leaned in to nip at his earlobe. He moaned as she bit and suckled, trailing lips and teeth up the curve of his ear, only to tease the sensitized skin with the tip of her tongue and warm breath on the way back down. Sousuke gasped for air and tried to reach out for her, desperate to touch her and to take her, though he knew it was foolish. She giggled and grabbed his arm, lifting his hand to her mouth.

One by one she took his fingers into her mouth, sliding her lips tightly against them, flicking her tongue against the pads of his fingers and giving him a meaningful look the whole while. He stared at her, completely entranced, and swallowed against the lump that had formed in his throat. Oh, Kaname was a beautiful girl, and a delightfully sexy one as well, but this went beyond anything he had ever experienced before. She always did have that habit of surprising him by pushing past perceived limits.

When she finished with his fingers, she kissed her way up the sensitive skin of his wrist, scraping her teeth along his veins and continuing up his arm. With one hand, she held his arm, moving it slowly as she continued laving attention on her journey to his shoulder. With the other, she tenderly rubbed his hands, easing out any tension as well as wiping away the wetness she had left behind. Sousuke closed his eyes again and made a distinctly pleased sound, causing Kaname to smile.

She trailed her teeth across his collarbone, deviating from the prominent ridge only to nip at the raised veins and muscles of his neck mischievously. He groaned as he arched his hips into the air, finding himself missing the friction he sought as well as agitating the burns on his back. Kaname lifted her self up to caress his face for a few moments, "Shh, be patient," she cooed to him, easing him back into the feeling of pleasure.

When he had settled back down and the pain had mostly left his expression, she returned to her mission with a grin. Climbing back onto the bed and straddling him once more. Before returning her attentions to him, she decided to try something. She sat up on her knees and tilted her head back, eyes closed with an expectant smile on her face. She placed her hands just above the hem of her skirt over her hip bones, sliding her fingertips slowly and wickedly along her skin.

Sousuke watched her intently as her fingers worked their way up her taut stomach, gently bumping over her ribs, and then to trace the gentle curves of her breasts. He swallowed again and his teeth clicked together as he gave her nipples a hungry look. Silently he cursed her for pinning his arms to his side when she straddled him, though from the expression on her face it had to have been on purpose.

Kaname cupped her breasts and squeezed them, letting out a long moan at the pleasant feeling. She had never felt any reason to pleasure herself before, Sousuke having been the one to spark her sexual desires in the first place, and he was always there when she found herself needing release. These sensations were completely new to her as well, and she had a feeling this would not be nearly as satisfying if she were not doing it for him. She teasingly trailed her fingers across her breasts, deliberately passing by the nipples several times before her own curious desires did not allow her to leave them untouched any longer.

She rolled the peaks between her fingers and gasped at the pleasure, instinctively lowering her hips to press against Sousuke's groin wantonly. The sound he made was a garbled mix of intense need and frustration, which served to urge her on, grinding against him again. She bit her lip at the feel of the rough fabric of his pants scraping across the thin fabric of her panties, her skirt having ridden up to sit on her hips with the first buck of her hips.

It took her a moment to realize Sousuke was saying something, and she slowly opened her eyes to look down at him curiously. His face was contorted in pain, though she knew it was the pain of unreleased desires, not from his injuries, and he was _begging_ her. Begging her to let him touch her, begging her to touch _him_, begging her just to beg, and she chuckled wickedly at him. Now she knew just what kind of torture it took to break him.

Kaname took pity on him, though, and leaned down to kiss him, carefully supporting her weight on her forearms. She settled her hands on either side of his head, and she turned her arms ever so slightly so she could run her fingertips tenderly along his scalp. He moaned into her mouth and tried to gain control, though he found it difficult without the use of his arms, which were still trapped between her knees. He found he did have a little more control of the limbs however, with her weight settled forward now, and he lifted them, twisting, and managed to hook his arms over the backs of her thighs.

She rocked back against his touch, gasping when his fingers managed to trail between her legs and tease at the hem of her panties. She wanted to let him have his way, but she had started this to do something, and she was not about to let him derail her. Reluctantly, Kaname sat back up and removed his hands, settling back down so that he could not move the devious limbs. The look he gave her made her laugh. Sousuke did _not_ pout.

Carefully, she slung her leg over him to get off the bed. Back turned to him, she fixed her skirt. Then, slowly, agonizingly slowly to him, she unfastened the garment and slid it teasingly down her legs. Her hands splayed across her thighs and she hooked her thumbs under the top of her skirt, bending further and further over as she inched the clothing down her legs bit by bit. He could not hold back his groan at the erotic sight, and he strongly wished he were not so injured.

There was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to get out of bed, wrap his arms tight around her and take her in that position. One finger would slide the fabric of her underwear to the side, another would trail the wetness he could _smell_ up to rub against her clit, which surely must be a hard nub of excruciating pleasure by now, and another still would slip between her lips to tease her in preparation for what would come next. Yes, then he would have her, still holding her panties off to the side, never removing them, and she would scream that _delicious_ scream as he pounded inside of her ruthlessly, taking her again and again until-

Sousuke shouted with pleasure when he felt pressure on his straining cock. He had never noticed Kaname finish undressing, and had even remained in his fantasy when she removed his pants and boxers. It wasn't until her hand fisted around the base of his penis and her lips wrapped around the head that he had come back to the moment. Her tongue flicked across the tip, licking up the pre-cum as her hand pumped him hesitantly. This was the first time she had ever done this for him, and what she lacked in experience she was certainly more than making up for with enthusiasm.

Kaname gently applied pressure with her lips, bobbing her head up and down, slowly at first. She was finding it hard not to gag, but girls at school talked, and she did her best to relax her throat against the odd sensation. For her, it came easier than to others, a veteran practitioner of mind-over-matter, and several minutes into it she was finding it sliding down her throat less painfully. She could not take it all, but what she was managing was certainly enough for him. She had never heard him make those sounds before, and she felt extremely self-satisfied.

Her hand covered the areas her mouth could not, and she alternated between gentle pressure and trailing her fingertips over the skin teasingly. Sousuke was completely helpless to do anything but enjoy what she was giving him. He could not take her as he wanted to, he could not touch her in the ways he wanted to, he could not even react to the pleasure properly, lying still on the bed and panting heavily. Never had he felt so vulnerable than at this time. Never had he found himself enjoying the feel of being completely powerless. Letting Kaname do this was the single most freeing experience of his life, for once just letting go of absolutely everything.

When Sousuke felt fingers gingerly trail across his sac he completely lost it. He had wanted to be able to give her warning, it just seemed rude otherwise, but the sensation drove him over the edge with a strangled cry of pleasure. Kaname was startled when the heat filled her mouth, and she pulled back immediately, the rest shooting across his chest as he lay there gasping for air and making whimpering noises from the aftermath of such an intense orgasm. She swallowed what was in her mouth and made a face. That would definitely have to be an acquired taste…, and she wiped her mouth afterwards.

* * *

Glancing down at him, though, seeing him in such a state of obvious bliss, she felt good about the situation. She had found herself growing more and more curious about doing such a thing, and when he could not really do much for himself seemed like the appropriate time to try. She got up and found a washcloth, wetting it and bringing it back to the bed so she could wipe him clean. Kaname leaned in to kiss him, smiling down at him in adoration. Slowly, Sousuke opened his eyes and looked back at her in wonder. He lifted a shaky hand to brush across her cheek and returned the smile, speaking in a husky voice, "Thank you."

She giggled, "You're welcome. I'm going to go take a shower, are you okay or do you need something first?"

He shook his head, although he looked at her a bit sadly it seemed, "No. I just wish I could return the favor."

Kaname kissed him again then rose to her feet. "Don't worry about it, Sousuke. You can make it up to me when you're all better," she grinned and winked at him as she sauntered to the bathroom. She had seen that look he had given her, and she swore to herself that she would repeat the experiment when Sousuke was healthy again. It promised to be a highly enjoyable experience if she did.

She did not take too long in the shower, not wanting to leave Sousuke unattended for any longer than necessary. When she was done, she made a small lunch for them, feeding Sousuke despite his insistence that he could manage that much for himself. "I _want_ to do this, it's fun, so shut up and eat the food, dummy," she had said with a grin. He gave up at that point and allowed her to have her way.

Sousuke sat back and relaxed while Kaname did the dishes in the kitchen. After what she had done for him, he felt better than any amount of pain killers could make him. His entire body was at ease and he felt a humming pleasantness throughout his entire being that pushed against the pain, driving it away. The phone rang, their only landline being on the small table beside the bed. He carefully reached out to pick it up, and when he heard who was on the line, he called out to Kaname.

Kaname came in, wiping her hands dry on a towel that she slung over her shoulder when down. Anxiously, she took the phone from him, having a feeling she knew what the call was, "Hello?"

"Kaname, it's Peggy," the kindly voice sounded over the receiver. From the tone alone she felt the anxiety leave her. Surely there was not any bad news when the woman sounded as she did. "We got your results back."

"And?"

"Well, you're not sick, it's just," she trailed off, wondering exactly how the girl would react.

She felt her nervousness return and she glanced worriedly at Sousuke, who looked concerned, "Just what?" Her eyes widened when she heard just what it was. She stammered into the phone, trying to come up with a coherent response and failing. That just… it could not be happening. What was she going to do? She wasn't ready for this. The strength left her all at once and the phone clattered to the ground as she fell to her knees, the words replaying themselves in her mind.

"_You're pregnant."_


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: This chapter was _painful_ to write. I mean it, I had a lot of problems. But thanks to my absolutely lovely beta, I got through it. It was writing the characters in this situation that I found very difficult, and it was with her guidance that I was able to get it done. Enjoy~**

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**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Sixteen**

Sousuke sat up on the bed, Kaname resting with her back against his chest, settled between his legs. When she had collapsed, Sousuke had gotten up immediately, despite the burning he felt across his back from the movements. He couldn't even remember what it was he had said into the line before hanging the phone up. Then he used the last bit of strength had to pull her onto the bed the way they were now, and was leaning forward, using her for support to stay upright. His arms were wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder so he could keep an eye on her face.

He was afraid. He did not like not knowing what was wrong, not when she had gotten a call from the doctor and then had that kind of a reaction. He was terrified. He knew her mother had died of cancer, though she had been quite a bit older than Kaname was now, but still, could it have been hereditary? He desperately wanted her to answer, he needed to know what was wrong, but he was scared to ask, and he wasn't even sure she would hear him anyways with the state she was in.

After what seemed like forever to him, though had only been a few minutes, she spoke up and put an end to his fears. "Sousuke," she whined, sounding helpless, "I'm pregnant." Sousuke blinked rapidly for a few moments, digesting her words. He stayed silent for a long time, not even moving. As the clock ticked down the minutes, she grew nervous. Just what was he thinking, anyways? Finally, her patience snapped, and she turned and yelled at him, voicing her frustrations.

"What are you thinking, Sousuke?! What do you think we can do about this? I'm seventeen! I'm not ready for this, are _you_?! I don't even know what I want from life yet, or if I'll even ever be allowed to have a life again! And like hell if I'm going to raise a child on a military base!" she panted for air, glaring at him with tears streaming down her face.

Sousuke stared at her, his mind racing. What _did_ he think about this? What could be done? What could he do? What _should_ they do? Kaname trembled in his lap and shook her head roughly, more thoughts tearing at her. "What kind of a life could we give a kid anyways? You nearly died, Sousuke! People are constantly trying to capture me, you're always getting shot at, there aren't any guarantees in our life, now are there?! The only thing we can be sure of is that our kid will have one fucked up existence! I don't want that, do you?!"

He came to a decision. He looked her in the eyes, his expression intense. "I'll end it."

She felt like she had just been sucker-punched. The statement seemed to come completely out of left-field. End it? End what? "Sousuke, just, just what are you saying? You'll end it, what?"

"Before this baby is born," he pressed a tentative hand to her stomach, his touch showing the nervousness his voice did not. "I'll end it. I'll end the danger. I'll make sure this world is a safe place for us to raise this child, to give it a life neither of us were allowed to lead."

Kaname stared at him, her own hands moving to her stomach as his words sank in. "We, we're," she paused for a moment, covering his hand with her own, "we're keeping the baby?"

Sousuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts before answering. "Kaname, I, I don't know what being a father is like. I don't know what to expect, or what to do, but…," he took another breath of air and opened his eyes to look into her own. "I'm scared, Kaname. I am, this happened so suddenly, and I'm so unsure but, well. The baby, this, it's a part of you," he raised his free hand to cup her cheek gently and brush away her tears with his thumb. "You know I would go through hell to protect you, Kaname. All of you – this child included. I want to do my best by you, and it, Kaname. Please," his eyes pleaded with hers to give him this chance.

She stared at him in wonder, somehow feeling better at his words. She was still unsure, though she was more hopeful than she had been just moments earlier. He noted her hesitance and sighed, closing his eyes again as he chose his next words carefully. "Ultimately, it's your decision, of course, Kaname. It's your body, and I would not want you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable, upset, nothing like that," he took in a deep breath and wondered just how he could say what it was he felt.

Kaname nodded in agreement, but she sat back, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them, thinking. Sousuke lowered himself back onto the bed, unable to sit up any longer, though he made sure he could keep his eyes on her. "Sousuke, _how_ are you going to end it? You're injured, the Arbalest is destroyed, Amalgam is far stronger than Mithril and you don't even know where they are," she decided not to mention the Arm Slave that was in production, just for him. She had no idea when it would be finished anyway; she would not be going in to work on it with Sousuke here like this, unable to care for himself.

Sousuke fisted his hands in the sheets, glaring up at the ceiling. "I'll find a way, Kaname. I don't care what I have to do to get the job done, I'll do it. Even if I have to hunt them down, even if I have to become the person I used to be, I'll do it. I want to. You should not have to worry about whether or not you can live your life. It was selfish of me to take you here like this, instead of concentrating on ending the problem. I'll take care of that. I promise."

She stared at him in shock. She had never once thought he was being selfish, it always felt like he was sacrificing everything to help her. Yet here was, giving her more promises, more sacrifices, and blaming himself for needing to. Kaname trembled and unfolded her limbs from their position, stretching and laying out on the bed beside him. It was obvious his mind was made up, and he was even more stubborn than she was. It would be senseless to argue with him now. All she could do was try to convince him to be as careful about it as possible.

Even though it was supposed to be a secret even from him, she decided that _now_ she would tell him about the ARX-8, "Sousuke? I, uh, there's something I should probably tell you, then, if you've made up your mind," he blinked and nodded his head slowly, wondering what she had to say. "You know how I've been helping the R&D department with something? Ah, well, I've been working with them on an AS. It's completely tailored to you, Sousuke. Al has kept track of all of your battles and helped design it to suit your fighting style, and I've been developing something that will help you a lot, I hope."

Sousuke sat up, wincing in pain, then stared down at her. An AS designed for _him_? That was absurd, although with everything he had been through the past year and a half he could certainly believe it. Still, though, it seemed ridiculous. Why would Mithril spend their resources to create something for just one of their pilots, especially when it had been in production while he was still the only one that could pilot the Arbalest? It seemed so very… inefficient.

Kaname rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "I know it sounds crazy, Sousuke, I thought the same thing. Do you remember saving a girl near Khabarovsk, just before being assigned the mission to guard me?" he looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember, and then he nodded. "Well, that girl was a Whispered, too. When she came around after the drugs got out of her system and she got over the psychological damage, she said she wanted to design something for you, as a thank you. That's what this AS is.

"She's been using Al to help with the designs and the architecture for the lambda driver. She created a really powerful system too, although we're still in the process of fitting it together so it's not so awkward. And as for me, well, I've been designing something that cancels out the lambda driver. With it, Sousuke, your battles against Amalgam will be based on skill with an AS, not 'magic,' as you called it," she smiled at him, hoping he would like it.

He looked down at her, the possibilities running through his mind. To be able to fight normally again would be a blessing. Not needing to worry about the enemy's lambda driver capabilities would surely give him the upper hand. Whenever he faced Amalgam, they always used that system far more than their personal skill. If it came down to it, he would win undoubtedly without that aggravating feature. He had been piloting Arm Slaves for eight years and always against the odds. That was always how he fought, too. If he assumed the worst he was cautious and conservative, allowing him to last far longer than most would.

Sousuke found that he felt more relaxed. The idea of having such a weapon available to him in the future appealed greatly to him. He lowered himself back on the bed once more, and sighed with relief when he found a position that did not press against too many of his wounds. "I am not getting up again today," he muttered. Kaname smiled sadly and reached out to touch his face gently and apologetically. It had been her fault that he kept hurting himself that day, when he really should have been able to just rest in peace and quiet.

She sighed and snuggled against him, careful not to press against him too roughly again. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close anyways, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of her shampoo, having missed it since she had not used it at the hospital. "Hmm, Sousuke?"

"Yeah?"

Kaname fidgeted nervously for a moment until she heard him suck in his breath from her rubbing against an injury. She stopped immediately and tilted her head up to look at him sheepishly, "Sorry."

He grunted in response, waiting for her to say whatever it was that she had to say. When she stayed silent for a while longer, he spoke up, "Kaname?"

She sighed and rested her forehead on his chest carefully, "We should talk more about this."

It took him a moment to realize what she meant, and he nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I just don't know…, where do we go from here?" he sighed, kissing the top of her head.

"I don't know Sousuke, oh god, I don't know. What will my father think? And, and if we go back to school, what about our classmates? And schoolwork? What am I going to do about all of that?" she began sobbing again, her worries crashing down on her. Sousuke rubbed her back gently, holding her close while she cried. "They'll think I'm some kind slut, and, and, Sousuke, what am I going to do?"

He let her cry on him for some time, not really sure of how to respond. He did not know the answers to her questions. What would Shunya think? Would he be willing to continue accepting Sousuke if he knew Kaname was pregnant? Would their classmates shun her? Seventeen, in high school, and expecting, she was sure to be laughed at and mocked by some at least. Inaba would certainly rub it in her face. Assuming, of course, they even could return to Jindai.

A thought crossed his mind, although he did not know if he should voice it at that time. He thought maybe it would help ease her mind, but was going about it like this the right way? What _was_ the right way? No one had ever talked about it with him before, but surely there was something more appropriate than just saying it. He sighed, running his hands through her hair, unsure of himself. Kaname pulled back and swiped at her face, muttering under her breath. "God, Sousuke, you must be so sick of me by now."

"Sick of you? Why would I be?" he blinked, confused. She was making no sense to him.

She rubbed her eyes and groaned, "Ugh, look at me! I keep crying at everything! I'm stronger than this!"

"Kaname… You've been going through so much, and you've had no real break. Of course you're getting upset, when," his throat tightened against his next words, and he forced them out, "when was the last time you were really happy?"

Her arms dropped and she rolled onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling while she thought about his question, and realized that it had been quite awhile, "Before we had to leave. I guess, well, I guess it's been hard to be happy when everything I thought I was just," she blew at her bangs, her face melancholic.

Sousuke understood just what it was. He knew she was unhappy there, at Merida Island Base. Of course she would rather be back in Tokyo, back at Jindai, back in time when everything at been normal, even if only on the outside. She had been happy living that lie, that she was a normal student, that she could have a normal life. He wanted to bring that all back to her. If only he knew how.

She leapt off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Sousuke sighed, although at least now he knew why she was throwing up. That did not mean he liked it, since it just added to her misery, and he could do nothing for her. Several minutes passed before she came out, glaring at her feet as she trudged back to the bed. "I guess I should go see Peggy again, huh?"

He blinked and looked up at her curious. "Do you need to, does something not feel right?"

Kaname shook her head and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, lacing her fingers through his messy hair. "No, everything's fine. It's just, well, if we're going to keep the child, there are things that need to be taken care of. Ultrasounds, vitamins, regular exams, I'm probably going to have to set up a lot of appointments with her."

"Is it that complicated?"

She giggled at his confusion and nodded. "Yeah, Sousuke, it's that complicated. There's a lot that goes into carrying a child you know!" at least his innocence in the matter gave it some humor. She smiled at him, trailing her fingers down his face softly. The tender look he gave her melted her heart and she sighed, shoulders sagging. There was still so much to fret over, so many things to work through, but seeing the look on his face as he thought about their unborn child made her believe the decision to keep the baby was the right one. How could it be wrong when it made him feel so good?

Sousuke tilted his face into her touch, a soft smile on his lips. At first he had been embarrassed at his ignorance on the subject, but she had immediately soothed him with her actions. He really did _not_ know just what went into carrying a child, but he was more than willing to find out. Kaname's stress, her fears, those had pushed his happiness to the side, but after she had come and started talking about it like that, with acceptance, he was able to let himself enjoy the news.

It was daunting, yes, he had no idea what being a father meant. He had none, Majhid and Kalinin did not count as models of what he should be like as a father, he felt. They were the kind of men that knew how to deal with a person like him, their treatment of him the only thing he could look on as fatherly influence. Raising a child in normal society was another matter entirely. He was still learning himself, how would he teach a child? That was, of course, where Kaname would come in, but he did not want to give his kid strange ideas simply because _he_ did not know better.

Still, though, he was looking forward to it. He was looking forward to being part of a family, having a child and if he was lucky perhaps Kaname would agree to be his wife. It excited him. He never had family before. The closest anyone had come to family, besides Kaname herself, had not been anywhere near conventional. It almost felt as though he were becoming a normal person himself. He would also be somewhat eccentric by society's terms, but that was all right. He would always have blood stained on his hands, the past was something impossible to erase, but he would work through that.

Although…

"Kaname, come here," he had his arms open to her and a vulnerable expression on his face. He had seemed so happy and content just a moment ago, Kaname's eyes flashed with worry. She crawled into his hold, feeling his arms squeeze her tight and he took in a deep breath as though trying to calm himself.

"Sousuke, what's wrong?" she could not keep the fear from her voice. Had he changed his mind for some reason? Just when she had accepted the idea and come to terms with it? He had seemed so adamant about it, and now this, she was concerned.

"Do you," he coughed nervously, unsure of how to say it, "do you think that I'm, I, I don't know – worthy? – of being a father?"

She pulled back to look at his face, wondering just what he was thinking. "Sousuke, just where did this come from?"

He took in a deep breath, wondering if he should say it all. What would she think of him? Certainly she deserved to know, though. He should have said something sooner, he realized. It was unfair to dump the truth about him, his past, to her, when in this position. Better to do it now, though, while things could still change if she wanted them to. The thought pained him, and he was afraid. Afraid of losing her.

He realized just then that he was not quite ready to explain his past in depth. It was odd to him, now that he thought about it. It had never really bothered him before, but for some reason, the idea of talking about it made him wary. Instead, he decided to speak in broad terms. "I've done a lot of terrible things in my life. I can honestly say that I've never even considered them all that bad until now, and I'm not sure if that makes me even more of an awful person or," he sighed and shook his head.

Kaname placed a gentle hand on his face and smiled reassuringly to him. "Sousuke, your life forced you to do all kinds of things just to survive, right? You can't blame yourself for the things that you grew up learning."

"You don't understand Kaname. I've killed over a hundred people. Not all of them were guilty, either. Not all of them had done anything, not all of them could do anything more. I've killed people as they retreated; I've killed raw recruits that had yet to see combat; I've killed prisoners, people bound and completely incapable of doing anything to stop it," he flinched when Kaname shifted away from him, his eyes downcast and voice soft and mournful as he added the last. "I'm not a good person… am I?"

He sighed when Kaname didn't answer him, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain. Would he lose her because of what he was, even if he was different now? Was he even really all that different now? If he were put into the situations he had been in those days, would he not still do the same thing, to ensure survival and efficiency? Although in those days, would he ever have been capable of feeling the way he did now? Fear was something he had forgotten about entirely until meeting Kaname. She was the only one who could make him feel it, and it was always when he thought he might lose her.

"That, that's not who I am anymore, not exactly. The person I was back then… I don't think I could have ever felt this way. I never thought I ever would, not until I met you, Kaname. You've changed me. You've made me feel things I never knew a person could feel, you made me feel things I never thought I would again. The things you've taught me, too. How to operate in normal society," he sighed again. "I suppose that's just it, though. Normal society, that's not a place I ever thought I would belong, or would even want to belong to. Can I, now?

"For me, killing was a way of life; it was very literally 'kill or be killed.' It wasn't that I enjoyed it; it just had to be done. But, to the average person, to you, what does that kind of a past say about me? Am I monster? I never thought I was, but maybe I am. Certainly, if you picked a person off the streets of Tokyo, and told them my history, they would say I'm one. That I would be unable to function as a normal person, because, truly, what kind of a 'normal' person deals with situations in the ways I always have?

"I've been trying to learn, though. I know I still have some problems, I know there's still so much I don't understand, but I've been trying, really, really hard Kaname," he fought the urge to roll away from her. Her silence, her stillness, it was unnerving. She must have been thinking he was such a terrible person. He wouldn't blame her. "I'm sorry, Kaname. Perhaps, perhaps I should have said nothing. I just felt, I felt as though you needed to know. I do not want to keep anything from you, especially not," his voice choked, "not now. With this, I just, you had to know. But I'm not like that anymore, Kaname, because of you, so, please-!"

Kaname wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, cutting him off. After a few minutes, she pulled back and gave him a sad smile, stroking his face, "Sousuke, you're no monster. It's like you said, that was all stuff you just had to do. And you've been getting so much better in Tokyo, you really have. Honestly, Sousuke, I can't think of a person anymore worthy than _you_ to be a father. You're really so gentle, kind, caring, attentive, patient, understanding, protective, and, really, the list goes on. Everything it takes to be a parent, you have.

"I'm the one that should be worried, really. I get angry quickly, I jump to conclusions, I'm violent," she sighed and shook her head. Sousuke pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly and pressing his face into her hair.

"I suppose we're both under-qualified, then, in various aspects to be parents. That's all right. We'll be doing this together, and haven't we learned that we can accomplish anything so long as we're together?" he tilted her head up to kiss her, running his hands along her sides, untying the knot holding her yukata shut and slipping his hands under the fabric to caress her skin. She moaned into his mouth and leaned into the touch, sighing happily as he slipped the cotton off her shoulders.

He trailed his hands along her body, wishing he could do more. As it was, moving so much and constantly pressing her against his injuries was proving to be extremely painful. He stopped and relaxed his hold on her regretfully, pulling back with a groan. "Sousuke, are you all right?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to stay still for some time," he eyed her naked body before him and sighed once more. He brought his gaze up to meet her eyes and smiled softly, "Thank you, Kaname. I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled and leaned forward, kissing him on the forehead. "No more feeling insecure, all right, you idiot? That's my job, I'll do your worrying for you, got it?"

Sousuke smiled at her and nodded, "Understood."

Grinning, Kaname sat up and kissed him again, "Good. Now get some sleep."

"Understood."

* * *

It had been a week before Sousuke was able to take care of himself, and another week still before Kaname was willing to leave him alone to work. They had not told anyone the news, not wanting to say something until the first trimester was over, which, oddly enough they found, would be around Christmas. Another three weeks and Sousuke was pushing his body to its limits again, preparing for another round of brutal reconditioning that was scheduled to begin yet another week later.

A few days before his training would begin, Kaname had her second appointment with Peggy scheduled. The woman had asked to be stationed on Merida; they could find someone else for the Tuatha de Danaan, for a year's time so she could work with Kaname. Even though they had their hopes about returning to Japan before, she had taken that time in case they could not. It would be easier to say she could return to her position than to need to request more time.

She had offered to stay since Kaname was already comfortable with her, which was important. Mithril had no obstetricians, either, and she felt that since she already knew the girl she would do far better by her. Many of the doctors there were far too used to dealing with soldiers, and would probably not give Kaname the support and advice she would need, nor would they make sure to brush up on their knowledge in the matter, which could make them miss something.

Sousuke went with her to this appointment, and his eagerness to go was endearing to Kaname. The look in his eyes and the tone in his voice when he asked about it made her think he was prepared to beg if she said 'no,' not that she would. It was hard not to laugh at him though, his expression reminding her of a puppy begging for attention – and that was probably the most absurd part of it. Sousuke with puppy dog eyes? She giggled at the memory, earning her an odd look from him as they walked down the hall to Peggy's office.

"Is everything all right, Kaname?"

She covered her mouth, still laughing, "Everything's just great Sousuke. I was just thinking about something is all." He nodded, turning his attention forward though he slipped his hand from hers so he could wrap it around her waist instead. He leaned down to kiss her awkwardly above her ear while still walking, making her giggle more. "You're so sweet," she smiled up at him.

Sousuke returned the smile, and then stopped before their destination, knocking on the door with his free hand. Kaname wriggled out of his hold, grabbing his hand again, and walked in first after being welcomed in, tugging him into the room. Peggy looked up at the two with a grin, "It's nice to see you again Sergeant."

He nodded respectfully, "Yes, it's nice to see you as well, like this."

She nodded with understanding, and showed them into the exam room she had set up. Sousuke watched absolutely everything with keen interest. Kaname smiled at him, the way he watched her so tenderly making her melt. He listened intently to everything said, answering and asking questions in earnest. Peggy was intrigued by his reactions, having never seen him so, well, human seemed the only way to describe it. He was normally so robotic, especially in dealing with his injuries, or those of his teammates, and now she could see just what it was that had attracted Kaname to the young man.

"I think you're both going to enjoy this next part," Peggy said with a smile. She did an ultrasound as well as measured the baby's heartbeat. Sousuke sat on the edge of his seat, completely enraptured by the images and flickering on the monitors. Kaname bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying. She had an ultrasound a month ago, when she was just over six weeks, though it was not as though seeing one then could prepare her for seeing another. The heartbeat was new to her though, since they had been unable to catch it in the last one.

Timidly, she turned her eyes from the screens to look at Sousuke's reaction. She lost her battle against the tears. Everything would be all right. This was definitely the right decision. She knew that to be the absolute truth now, and smiled warmly at Sousuke, who was completely oblivious to anything but what the monitors were showing at that moment.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I like this chapter, myself. Hope you do too. Sorry it took so long, it's been done for awhile, just sat unedited. Enjoy. ^_^**

* * *

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Seventeen**

It was Christmas, and there was a party on Merida, no missions to keep the Tuatha de Danaan battle-group from holding one for once. It was summer in Merida, something that felt extremely odd to Kaname. Just a few months ago it had been summer in Tokyo. Reliving the season gave her an odd feeling, and she almost, _almost_, missed the cold. Really, what she missed at that moment, was wearing baggy clothing. None of her summer clothes even fit her anymore, she had to have Sousuke get some brought in from off base.

They _still_ hadn't told anyone. They were planning to do it that day, though. For some reason, the idea of announcing that she was pregnant on Christmas had appealed to her. She didn't know why, but that was what she had told Sousuke was her wish on the matter, and he always let her have her way. He had really wanted to share, though, and she could see it whenever someone came to visit them. He would wrap an arm around her and rest his hand on her hip, fingers itching to stroke her belly. He really was so excited. She smiled as she thought about it, taking a sip of the water Sousuke had brought to her earlier.

At the moment, she was sitting with Sarah, Tessa, and a mix of people from the research center and operations that she did not know. Sousuke had been dragged somewhere by Kurz, despite his protests, and Kaname could only sigh as she thought of just what kind of things they could be doing. With Kurz, it always paid to be paranoid. He was _always_ up to something. She sighed again as she remembered the hot spring.

Sarah turned to her with a smile, "Are you all right, Kaname? Bored?" she giggled when Kaname made a face and nodded, pounding back her water. "Do you want to try to find Mister Sagara? I'll come with you so you don't get lost."

Tessa turned to the two, hearing that, and beamed, "I think that's a great idea! Why don't we go find him?" she stood up immediately and excused them without even waiting for a response.

Kaname was towed from the table by the two with a laugh. The girls walked on either side of her, looping their arms through hers and acting very much like they would if they were just normal girls in high school. The previous day had been their birthday, eighteen at that and now it was Christmas, so they were in high spirits. They walked outside, grateful it was night and the air was beginning to cool somewhat. It felt good to be out of the crowded hangar they had turned into a party area and someplace where they could breathe fresh air.

Laughing and smiling, Kaname insisted they find someplace nearby to sit down. She was feeling tired, and she did not want to go far in case Sousuke went looking for her. They found some rocks they could use as seats, settling in and talking about random things. At times they touched on business, such as the completion of the ARX-8 which Sousuke would begin testing in just a few days. They all wondered how he would react to it in its entirety. It lacked functions he had grown to take for granted, and knowing his way of handling things, he'd probably immediately start by calling it all kinds of useless.

Kaname laughed as she imagined his reaction when Al would come on and ask if Sousuke meant him when he said useless. The AI was a surprise still, even if the existence of the system wasn't. She really wondered just what he would say when it came on. Would he be happy or would he start swearing at it? Either seemed viable, considering his past with Al. She smirked and shook her head.

Tessa stood up suddenly and walked forward to greet someone. Sarah stood up politely and Kaname turned to look over her shoulder to see who had arrived. Sousuke, Melissa, and Kurz walked up to the girls. Kaname went to stand but Sousuke shook his head and motioned for her to stay sitting. Far too tired to disagree, she sat and impatiently waited for him to make his way to her. He sat awkwardly on the rock with her, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

Sarah was introduced to Kurz and Melissa, the girl completely baffled when Kurz grinned and bowed to her, taking her hand kissing it. Or he would have, if Melissa hadn't swept his legs from under him with a boot to the heel and tug on his shoulder. Tessa tried to show concern, biting her cheek to keep in the laughter. Kaname laughed around, while Sousuke shook his head and sighed, "Honestly, Kurz. I would think by now you would have learned."

Melissa agreed emphatically, Tessa succumbing to her giggles. Sarah slowly sat back on her rock, watching the scene with a mixture of bewilderment and amusement. Kurz groaned and rose to his feet, swiping the dirt off of his clothes. Kaname had fallen silent after Sousuke spoke, and he turned a questioning look on her. Seeing his confusion, she grinned and shook her head, "That must have really hurt Kurz, coming from you."

"What do you mean?" he tilted his head to the side, eyeing her curiously. The others laughed knowingly, Kurz trying for an offended look in Sousuke's direction.

Giggling, Kaname answered, "Who is it that I had to beat with a harisen constantly until he _finally_ got it through his thick skull that you do _not_ point guns at teachers? Or students, or arcade machines, or vendors, or," Sousuke scowled and put a finger on her lips.

"I get it," he muttered. Kaname laughed and kissed the tip of his finger, pulling his hand down after so she could lean in and kiss him.

Kurz turned to Melissa and winked, opening his arms to her, "Hey babe, give me some love! I'm feeling lonely and wounded over here!"

"You don't know what _wounded_ is yet Kurz. But don't worry. I'll teach you," she grinned widely, showing off the whites of her teeth with a dangerous gleam in her eye. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll have a whole new vocabulary."

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "A whole new vocabulary, eh, Lieutenant Hotpants? Is it in a language like the cavemen, with lots of grunting and groaning," an elbow smashed into his smirking face.

Sousuke looked over at him, and then turned a meaningful look to Kaname. "I rest my case."

Kaname nodded in agreement, leaning against him with a happy sigh. He twisted so he could wrap both arms around her, tucking her head under his chin. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm, tired," she yawned as though to prove her point, snuggling closer against him. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, smoothing down her hair and stroking her back.

"Do you want to go home?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm okay for now. I want to try to have some more fun before going to bed."

He twisted his fingers in her hair, pulling gently on the long strands so they ran across his hands. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear. She blushed and nodded, pulling back a little, and turned nervously to their friends.

Kurz had picked himself back up and was about to find himself in trouble with Melissa yet again when Sousuke cleared his throat to get their attention. They turned to the couple, who they had decided to leave in their own little world, and looked at them curiously. Kaname's face was red and she had her hands clasped tightly together, her knees drawn together and her feet fidgeting. Sousuke had one arm around her and he had his head tilted to whisper something more to her. She shook her head violently and he smiled, kissing her cheek before looking up at his friends.

Not one to mince words, Sousuke came right out with, "Kaname's pregnant."

She flinched and smacked his shoulder, glaring at him. "What was that, Sousuke?! I leave it up to you and that's what you come up with?"

He stared at her, pulling back slightly, shifting his legs to prepare for escape, "Kaname? I thought that telling them was-!"

"Idiot! Where was the build-up? You know, the leading words, the alluding, the emotion?! You sounded like you were just saying something stupid, like 'It's hot today' or something!" she growled.

Sousuke began to sweat, his eyes darting back and forth as he contemplated the benefits and ramifications of retreat. Oh yes, the ramifications. He could feel the ghost-sensation of the harisen now, smacking against the top of his head with a sound that was likely comical to anyone witness to the event. Their antics were interrupted by laughter. Kurz, Melissa, and Tessa were doubled over, wiping tears from their eyes or holding their guts. Melissa stood up straight first, taking in a deep breath, "Oh, you guys are just too cute! Congratulations!"

Kurz snickered and gave Sousuke a thumbs-up and a wink. "You never would shoot blanks, eh, Sousuke?"

Sousuke blushed, ducking his head in embarrassment. Tessa walked up to the two, wrapping her arms around Kaname's shoulders with a shy smile, "I'm really happy for you both. Congratulations."

Kaname smiled back at her, grateful that she took it so well. She had been worried how Tessa would take the news. It was one thing that they were in a relationship; it was a completely different thing that they were going to have a child. That made everything all the more real, there was no going back now. Things would permanently change between them, no matter what happened in the future. "Thank you, guys, really. Thank you," Kaname found she was crying, and she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

It felt so good to her, to have it out like that, and for it to be accepted. She still felt nervous about how her family would react. She and Sousuke were going to visit Tokyo in a few weeks, but at least she knew there were people she could count on to be there for her when she returned, if things went bad. Sarah smiled from her rock, feeling out of place with the way they had all fallen into their familiar routine with each other. She stood up and walked over to them, giving Kaname a hug of her own, "Congratulations, Kaname!"

"Thanks, Sarah," she smiled up at the girl. Sarah straightened and nodded to them, voicing her happiness again to Sousuke before excusing herself. Kaname leaned against Sousuke, closing her eyes in contentment.

Melissa smiled and settled down since Kurz finally started to behave. "So when's the baby due?"

"The end of May," Sousuke answered, kissing the top of Kaname's head and holding her close. She squirmed and sighed happily, and her head began to slip from his shoulder. He smiled and shifted, lifting her up carefully so he could settle on the rock and hold her in his lap while she napped.

"Mm, just how far along is she, anyway then? Four months, huh, you've been keeping out on us?"

Sousuke nodded, "We wanted to wait until the second trimester to say anything, then Kaname decided she wanted to do it today."

Melissa nodded. It made sense, really, and she couldn't fault them for it. She propped her head up in her hand, resting her elbow on her thigh. She looked at Kaname carefully, and smiled when she saw the distinct lines in her clothes that showed her stomach.

"Showing a bit, hm? I'm almost jealous," she smiled at the couple. She never really had wanted children, she didn't have the patience for it, or the wish to really settle down and make that commitment. Sometimes, though, her hormones would kick in and make her think about it for just a little bit, and seeing someone close to her pregnant stirred those instincts.

Kurz grinned at her, "You know, if you want one of your own, all you have to do is ask!"

Unconsciously, she swung her arm in his direction, her fist connecting with his face painfully. "If I wanted to have kids, I'd make sure to have them with someone who wouldn't give them any bad genes, dumbass."

Tessa giggled and helped Kurz up, patting his shoulder. "I think you should give up Mr. Weber, it doesn't seem to be working."

He sighed theatrically, his shoulders sagging forward dramatically. Kaname stirred in Sousuke's hold, and she lifted her head drowsily. "I'm sorry, Sousuke, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Sousuke shook his head, "It is not a problem. You got little sleep last night, and it's getting late, of course you're tired."

She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug before standing. She stretched carefully, resting her hands on her lower back with a wince as she twisted slowly, trying to ease some of the pain. Sousuke got up and kneaded at her back and she sagged with relief. She leaned back against him and looked up, "I think I'm ready to go home now."

He nodded, excused them from their friends, and led her away. On their way out they ran into Peggy, who handed them an envelope with a smile and a wink. "What's this?" Kaname asked, turning it in her hands curiously.

"The genetic test I ran gave another piece of information," she was talking about a test they had decided would be a good idea, since Sousuke's medical history only included information on him. Not knowing anything about his family, it seemed the wisest course of action. Better to avoid any nasty surprises, and they were relieved when it came back with nothing but good news. "I wanted to wait to give this to you for Christmas; since it's far earlier than you would have thought you would have it. It's the gender of the baby," she gave Kaname and Sousuke a quick hug each and then left them with the intriguing paper.

After eyeing it for several long minutes, Kaname finally forced herself to slip it into her pocket. "Let's get home, Sousuke," she smiled up at him, sounding anxious. She really wanted to know. He smiled and nodded, leading her back to their small house. He was not in as much of a hurry as she was to learn the sex of the baby, he was equally happy no matter what it was. But Kaname's impatience meant his impatience or his pain, so he got them back as quick as he could.

Kaname put the envelope down on the bed and quickly undressed, slipping into her pajamas and sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside her for Sousuke to take. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants, tying them when she had already finished and called him over. He smiled at her excitement and took his place before she could get any more riled up. She lifted up the tiny package, unsealing it and sticking her fingers inside for the paper. When she grasped it, she paused, biting her lower lip.

Sousuke watched her with amusement, taking in the way she was a bundle of energy one moment and then complete inertia setting in at the moment of truth. He grinned and nudged her slightly, turning his face to her so he could kiss her before whispering in her ear, "Are you going to open it, or do I have to?"

That got her moving like he knew it would. It was a challenge, and she always rose to a challenge. She huffed and stuck her nose up in the air. Still though, it was with slow, shaking fingers that she removed the paper, eyeing it almost nervously. Coming across a blank paper, she blinked, turning it over. When she realized it was folded, she cursed, and Sousuke did something he never had before.

He laughed, falling back onto the bed, his hands settling on his stomach to ease against the unfamiliar expression. Kaname dropped the paper, staring at him agape. She shook her head with a rueful grin, then leaned over to poke him in the side, smirking. "Aw, honey, it's your first laugh! Are you all right, is there pain? I hear the first time hurts."

Sousuke tried to scowl, though the unusual feeling of laughter made it difficult. "It is not a problem. You were quite gentle," he grinned up at her as she laughed, shaking her head at him. "Although perhaps next time it could last longer," she squealed in mock rage and grabbed a pillow, beating him with it. He lifted his arm to protect himself, laughing more as she did, the hits gentle – for Kaname, anyway.

After a few minutes she lowered the pillow and tossed her hair with an indignant huff. "Was that long enough for you, missy?"

He sputtered at being called that, and she smirked victoriously. The battle was hers. Now, business over, she could return to the task at hand. Feeling more resolute, she leaned down and picked up the paper. He sat up again, pulling her into a hug and resting his chin on her shoulder so he would have a better view when she finally opened the paper.

Kaname took in a deep breath and turned to Sousuke. "Are you ready?" he nodded, knowing full well she was really asking herself the question. With shaking fingers, she slowly unfolded the paper, chewing on her lip. He tightened his hold, watching the sheet intently, her excitement contagious. Peggy had decided to write it in Japanese, and one lone character sat on the page, three neat strokes of a pen giving the answer.

They were having a girl.

Kaname yelped with delight, twisting in Sousuke's arms to tackle him into the bed. He adjusted carefully, catching her so she didn't squash herself against him, and smiled up at her tenderly. She leaned in and kissed him, thoroughly and enthusiastically. After some time, she pulled away, still grinning from the news, and whispered breathlessly, "I always wanted to have a girl."

He reached up and brushed the bangs from her face, then leaned up to kiss the corner of her mouth sweetly, "I'm glad."

They settled in to bed, Kaname lying on her left side with Sousuke behind her, enveloping her completely in his warmth. He reached out and turned off the light, letting the familiar blanket of darkness settle over them. Kaname sighed happily, leaning back against him, "Mm, Sousuke?" He kissed her neck in response, making her giggle, "What do you think of the name Shizuko? After my mom?"

Sousuke smiled softly, sleepily trailing his fingers along her side and stomach, "I think it's wonderful, Kaname," he murmured in her ear. She reached down to intertwine her fingers with his, resting their hands delicately on her swollen belly. She was happy he had given in so easily, as she was really dead set on the idea. After her mother died, after she had been able to look at things in a new light, she had decided that if she ever had a daughter, that would be her name. It was important to her, and Sousuke obviously saw that. Knowing him, though, he would have said it was fine either way. She just hoped he didn't resent her not giving him a chance to think of any names of his own.

He stirred slightly, letting her know he was still awake, and probably thinking of something. After a moment, he let out a breathy puff of air against her ear, twisting their hands so he could stroke her stomach with the back of his. "Hmm, Shizuko," he kissed her under the ear, "I can't wait to meet her." Slowly, he sat up, remembering something that the excitement of finding out the sex of their baby had pushed far from his mind. Kaname looked up at him curiously, tilting her head as he reached across her to grab something.

"Sousuke, what is it?"

He found a small battery operated lantern and flipped it on, hiding it under the bed so that there was only enough light to see by. Turning on the bedside lamp would have hurt their eyes, and he had no wish to ruin what he hoped would be a good moment, "Kaname?"

"Yes?"

Sousuke smiled softly at her, brushing her hair away and leaning down to press a soft kiss against her forehead. His other hand grasped one of hers, gently pulling down her fingers so he could slip something into her hand. He was unsure of himself, and could only hope that even if he did this wrong, she would still accept him, "Would you marry me?"

She blushed, looking up at him in wonder. His face was as red as hers, but he kept his eyes locked on her, hoping she would say 'yes.' "Oh Sousuke, of course I would," she giggled when he heaved a sigh of relief, bending down to kiss her neck and run his hands along her. She smiled at him, reaching her free hand to tangle in his hair. Marriage had been something she was worried about, not wanting to give birth out of wedlock.

Kaname giggled happily as he trailed kisses along her neck and shoulder, hands roaming across her as though feeling her for the first time. His enthusiasm in everything happening between them lately had her bubbling with excitement of her own. It hardly seemed real. She had found the man she loved, and who would always love her with everything he was, she was pregnant with his child, a girl as she'd always hoped, and she was going to marry him. Even if she was too young, too much to do in her life, it all seemed perfect in that moment.

A little teasing would make it even more perfect, "But, silly, you're supposed to put the ring on my finger, not in my hand. And it's the left hand, not the right," she laughed when he pulled back with a crestfallen expression. He stammered out an apology and she shook her head, slipping him back the ring and holding up her left hand expectantly, "It wouldn't be you if you didn't get something wrong dummy. Now hurry up, what are you waiting for?"

* * *

Kaname fidgeted nervously on the plane. She kept looking around, glancing out the window, down at her feet, her hands, at Sousuke, rifling through her bag, anything but sitting still and thinking. They had made their stop over at Hachijojima and would be arriving in Tokyo soon enough, the closer they got the more anxious she was. She did not even have the courage to tell her father that she had something to tell him when she had spoken to him about visiting.

Sousuke sighed, wondering just how the news would go over. It was not as though Kaname would be able to hide it. She was nineteen weeks along and even the sweater she wore was doing nothing to conceal her stomach. There was also the problem of marriage, since they would need Shunya's permission. They had found the paperwork and Tessa, who always signed off on anything needing parental consent when he was at Jindai, had been the one to fill it out for him. They still needed Shunya, though.

They could have had Mithril deal with all of the issues for them, but Kaname wanted to do it right. Although, she had admitted to herself, if Shunya did _not_ concede, she would let Mithril handle it. Sousuke was more important, she felt, and she wanted to be married before the child was born, not wait until she was twenty and no longer needed permission. Her dad would come around eventually, anyways, she believed. It was just the initial explosion that she was not looking forward to.

After they landed, Sousuke had urged her off the plane, through the airport, and to a taxi. She was deep in thought, afraid of what was to come. She started shaking, Sousuke wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, rubbing her back on the drive to her father's house in Musashino. He did not know what he could say to make her feel better. They had already told everyone that he was close to, and as expected, they had all congratulated him and wished him the best. The people he knew were a completely different breed of people from Kaname's family, however, so he really had no idea what to expect.

Kurz had him greatly concerned, and Melissa had said he should be sure to pack riot gear just in case. When he mentioned that to Kaname, she had thrown a fit, saying there was absolutely no way she would allow him to pull weaponry of any sort on her family. That did not mean he did not take Melissa's advice, however. He just made sure to hide the equipment from his girlfriend.

_Fiancée_, he corrected himself, kissing her on the top of her head with a small blush. She leaned into him with a tiny whimper, clinging onto his shirt almost desperately. It was all too soon in her mind that they pulled up to Shunya's house. Sousuke helped her out of the car and she held her pink Boston bag in front of her while he grabbed his own rucksack and a suitcase she had packed as well. He offered to carry her bag but she shook her head violently, using it as a shield to hide the incriminating evidence. With a shrug, he led the way to the door, Kaname trailing behind him shyly.

He rang the doorbell and there was a thunder of footsteps inside. Ayame threw the door open and tackled him, "Kana-nee!"

Sousuke steadied himself and shook his head, trying to ease the girl off of him. Kaname giggled, her sister's mistake cheering her up, even if she was still so nervous she felt sick. It was the first time she had felt nauseous since the morning sickness had worn off, and she swallowed past the unpleasant taste of bile at the back of her throat. Sousuke looked over at her, concerned, seeing she was turning green. "Kaname, are you all right?"

Ayame looked up from Sousuke's chest, having burrowed her face there even after realizing she had hugged the wrong person. She pulled away and took a step towards Kaname, placing a hand on her arm, "Kana-nee, you okay? I thought travel didn't upset you?"

Kaname laughed nervously, "Ah, maybe I got a bug or something. I'm going to go use the bathroom, I'll give you a hug after," she rushed past them, quickly removing her shoes and running to the bathroom, bag still clutched firmly in front of her.

Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Ayame looked up at Sousuke, "Hey is she okay?"

Sousuke sighed and motioned her inside, not answering the question. He followed her in and she showed him where to bring their belongings. Shunya had set them up in the same room, though he wondered if that would last. Not that taking him out when she was already pregnant made any sense, but Melissa and Kurz had given him a long string of things an overprotective and angry father might do. He desperately hoped the man would accept it. Kaname had enough to worry about without facing her father's disapproval as well.

He had no doubts Ayame would be excited. The girl was an endless fountain of excitement and optimism; no doubt she would find the prospect of being an aunt amazing. Sousuke walked into the living room, glancing around for any sign of Kaname or Shunya. "Daddy's at the office, he'll be back really soon though, you got here earlier than he expected. I think Kana-nee is still in the bathroom. Are you sure she's all right?"

Sousuke nodded, "She's fine."

"If you say so," Ayame trailed off. The front door opened and she perked up immediately, bounding over to greet Shunya, "Daddy! Kana-nee and Sousuke are here!"

Shunya's low voice didn't carry and Sousuke did not bother to strain to hear. Instead he looked around, trying to figure out where the bathroom Kaname would be at was. Another door opened and he turned towards the sound to see her walk out, holding her stomach with a grimace. Shunya and Ayame had emerged from the foyer and looked over at the two, as Sousuke moved to her to steady her and ask if she was all right.

Kaname was holding her bag off to the side, forgetting she had wanted to cover herself. Ayame gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, then immediately took a step away from Shunya. The man was boiling with rage, his fists clenched tight and his body shaking. He took one meaningful step forward, slamming his foot to the ground loud enough to startle the couple, who had been unaware up until that moment. Kaname's eyes grew wide and round, her pupils becoming pinpricks of fear in the face of her father's anger. With a whimper, she dropped the bag and slid behind Sousuke, who stood protectively in front of her.

"Just _what_ exactly is the _meaning_ of this?!" he wasn't shouting. His voice was, instead, a low growl filled with malice. He had never expected Kaname to wind up pregnant so young, she was smart and responsible, and he knew she knew better. Sousuke had seemed to be a decent kid, if a little unorthodox because of his life, and seemed to have a heavy sense of responsibility. This was a completely unexpected turn of events, one he had not thought to see, and he was livid.

Sousuke met his eyes defiantly, "Exactly what it looks like, sir. Kaname is pregnant."


	18. Chapter 18

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Eighteen**

The silence was unbearable. After Sousuke's rather obvious declaration, nothing had been said. Ayame looked between the three, wondering what she should do, if anything. Kaname was hiding behind Sousuke completely, her face buried in his back. Sousuke and Shunya had entered a staring contest, and they had been glaring at each other for nearly ten whole minutes. Awkwardly, Ayame crossed the room and skirted around Sousuke to slide an arm across her sister's shoulders.

Kaname turned to her sister, wrapping her arms around her and hiding her face in Ayame's shoulder. Ayame was taken aback, unable to recall a time her sister had ever seemed so helpless. She brought Kaname over to a couch, settling her in and shooting her father a nasty glare. The look from Ayame startled him greatly and the staring contest came to an end. Giving Shunya one last look, Sousuke set Kaname's bag to the side then went to join her, kneeling down beside her and asking if she needed anything.

Shunya watched the three in stunned silence as Ayame and Sousuke completely doted on Kaname. The cruel expression Ayame had turned on him had been a shock, he felt as though he had been splashed in the face with a bucket of ice water. He had never thought the young girl would ever look at him like that, and it made him step back and look at the full picture.

Kaname had waited to tell him in person, she had respected, and trusted, him enough not to do it over the phone. Sousuke was obviously very protective of her and was making it clear she would not be going through it alone. His reaction had upset her, and it had been unwarranted. She did not deserve to be yelled at, sometimes accidents just happened no matter how careful you were, he knew, and she was eighteen now. He could afford to be more understanding.

He sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose to ease away the tension. After taking in a deep breath, he sat in a chair facing the sofa where Kaname was cuddled up with Ayame, the younger girl fawning over her in wonder. Sousuke was adjusting throw pillows to make Kaname more comfortable, and she was looking between the two with a thankful smile. When they seemed to have settled down, he turned a stern look on them. Ayame and Sousuke both had their arms wrapped protectively around Kaname who had her gaze turned to the floor to avoid seeing his disappointment.

"Why don't you explain this to me?" he said, trying to keep his voice even.

Kaname and Sousuke looked at each other, wondering just what they should say. Ayame decided to speak up, "Oh, come on Daddy, even _I_ know where babies come from!"

Shunya bit his tongue to keep himself from snapping, closing his eyes tightly against the building pressure in his head. "You know full well that's not what I meant, Ayame. Now stay quiet. What I meant, Kaname, Sousuke, is how did you two let this happen? I do believe I had been promised you would be careful, was I not?"

"Well, yes Father and we have been," she blushed and looked down at her feet once more, "except once. We forgot," she sighed, her shoulders sagging forward. Sousuke rubbed her back, looking at her apologetically.

He cleared his throat and looked up at Shunya, "It was my fault, sir. She was emotionally distraught at the time; I should have been the one to realize."

Kaname elbowed him in the ribs and glared at him, "You idiot."

"Kaname?"

"Ugh, you have absolutely no idea what that just sounded like, do you?" He tilted his head, confused, and she just threw up her arms in defeat. "Never mind, I don't know why I bother sometimes, stupid idiot."

Shunya brought his hands up to massage his temples. "How is it every time I see you two I get a massive headache?" he muttered. Both Kaname and Sousuke looked at him, surprised at first, then sheepish.

"Sorry, Father."

"My apologies."

"All right, why don't we just move to the next point? How do you intend to raise the child? You're living on a base, aren't you?" he decided to let what Sousuke said drop for the moment. Kaname's reaction to his blunder made him feel _slightly_ better about the situation, and the implications that it had not been their first time at the very least were vaguely encouraging. If their first time had been due to Kaname being "emotionally distraught" he might just have to kill Sousuke for taking advantage of her.

They exchanged looks again, and Sousuke was the one who answered this time. "I intend to eliminate all threats to Kaname's safety so that she may be able to resume a normal life in the city as is her desire."

Shunya and Ayame both gawked at him. Clearing his throat, Shunya asked "And just how do you intend to do such a thing?"

"I have my own personal sources as well as people in my organization searching for them, and when the opposing group is located, I will dispatch them with extreme prejudice," the steel in his voice was enough to make Shunya's blood run cold. He knew the boy had killed before, but it was one thing to think of it in the past, and another to think of it in the future. Kaname sighed and leaned against Sousuke, murmuring something to him that had him nodding and kissing her on the top of her head. Shunya had a feeling it was something like 'thank you,' which left an odd feeling behind – thanking the boy for killing people?

He would think more heavily on the matter later. He had questions, sure, but he did not wish to ask them. He was afraid of the answers. Instead, next point, he figured, "What about marriage?"

That was something easy for them to discuss, and Kaname smiled at her father, "Actually, we were hoping you would give us permission, so we could marry while we're here. We have the paperwork; you just need to sign it."

Shunya looked between the two and noticed the relaxed and cheerful expressions they had when thinking about marriage. Their joy completely overshadowed the heavy feeling from just moments before. With a sigh, he sat back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling for several long moments. Finally, he looked down and nodded, "Very well."

Ayame immediately leapt to her feet and stood up in front of her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. "Since you're going to be part of the family, can I call you Sokkun?!" she squealed in delight. Obviously, it had been on her mind for a very long time.

Sousuke blinked slowly, staring at her, and a somewhat cross expression came over his face, "You're calling me… sock?"

* * *

Shunya looked over his newspaper to watch Kaname who was curled up on the couch with her phone in hand, biting her lower lip nervously as she stared down at the device. He arched his brow as she fidgeted and argued with herself, "Kaname, what exactly are you doing?"

She looked up at him and groaned, "I'm trying to convince myself to call Kyouko."

"Is something wrong?"

Kaname made a face at the phone, "There shouldn't be," she sighed, "It's probably all in my head." She muttered under her breath, hating her fear of rejection. Really, she knew her friend better than that, and Kyouko wouldn't turn around and stab her in the back simply because she had gotten pregnant. If anything, knowing her, she would probably be excited, but still…

Sousuke walked in the house with Ayame, the younger girl giggling and clinging on to his jacket. "Sokkun, Sokkun, snowball fight, c'mon!" Kaname looked up at the joyful shouting.

Scowling, Sousuke shook his head while shedding his jacket. He had gone for a jog and Ayame had insisted on going with him. If he had known she was going to pester him for a snowball fight the whole time he would have insisted on running alone. Laughing, Kaname turned around and looked at them over the back of the couch, "Aw, Sokkun, go play with her. Think of it as practice for playing with our daughter or something."

"Not you too," he muttered. It had been only one day and the nickname had stuck.

Tugging on his arm, Ayame pulled Sousuke back into the foyer, "C'mon, Sokkun! You heard Kana-nee, practice, practice, let's go!"

Sighing, he realized this was a battle he could never win, so he tugged his jacket back on and let himself be led outside. Kaname giggled, shaking her head, and returned her attention to the phone. With a sigh, she poked through her address book to find Kyouko's number and hit the send button. The line rang twice before her friend picked up excitedly, "Kana-chan!"

"Kyouko, how are you?"

"I'm good, studying for tests though, hah, exam hell is going to be the death of me. How are you?!"

She smiled sadly, wishing she were taking part in the exams as well, even if they _were_ hell, and answered, "Oh, I'm good. I'm in Japan right now, I know you're busy, but did you want to try to get together, even if just for an hour or so?"

"Definitely Kana-chan, when do you want to meet up?"

"I guess whatever works for you – we're in Japan for two weeks."

"How about tomorrow, we can meet up at that café we used to go to or something."

"That sounds great, Kyouko," they made their plans, finding a time that worked. They chatted for a little while, Kaname skirting around her news. It was something she just didn't feel right saying over the phone, though she found herself worrying again about what Kyouko would think. Even if the girl had been one of the only people to stick with her after finding out she was a freak. One thing after another, just how much would Kyouko be willing to accept?

When she hung up the phone Shunya turned down his paper again, "Going out tomorrow?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I want to at least tell Kyouko, you know?"

Shunya agreed and went back to his reading. Kaname stood up and stretched, "I'm going to go check on those two," she giggled, shaking her head. She could only imagine what a snowball fight between them would end up like. Ayame was competitive enough, and she had years of snowball fighting under her belt, but Sousuke… Kaname shook her head again. She was afraid of what she might find as she opened the door after bundling up against the cold.

There was nothing.

She blinked, turning her head, trying to see where they were. Grumbling about the weather and snow, she stepped outside and walked around the house, trying to find them, "Sousuke? Ayame, where are you guys?"

Ayame suddenly ducked out from behind a tree and grabbed Kaname's arm with a laugh, "Hah! Now I have a hostage! He'll have no choice but to give in," the girl grinned widely. She had ice crystals stuck to her hair, her clothes were completely drenched from the snow, and there were even some stray twigs poking out in random directions from her clothes and hair.

Laughing, Kaname shook her head and let herself be led away by her sister, who directed her to a snow fort in the backyard that could only have been made by Sousuke. Ayame held up a snowball beside her sister's face while she stared at the structure, wondering how he had made it in such a short amount of time.

Sousuke poked his head up from behind the white wall, looking to be in significantly better shape than Ayame. "I see you have taken a hostage. Unfortunately, I do not negotiate with terrorists."

Ayame nearly choked, "What?! Ooh, why you! So you're not going to protect my sister then, _Sokkun_?"

He ducked back behind the wall arranged his ammunition from several piles of prepared snowballs. Kaname sighed and shook her head, "Ayame, I could have told you that it was pointless."

"But, Kana-nee, he should be negotiating your safe return!" she protested, looking up at her sister with wide eyes.

Grinning, Kaname just shrugged, "Taking me was a bad choice. He knows you won't do anything to me," she suddenly turned a glare on Ayame and growled, "at least you _better_ not, imp." She noticed Sousuke sneak out from behind his shelter, working his way behind Ayame. She smiled to herself and decided to keep Ayame distracted; the girl had taken her hostage so she could use a little revenge. "What _were _you planning on doing with me as hostage, anyway?"

Ayame fidgeted, "Uh, I don't know, threaten your safety?" That wasn't very convincing.

"A threat doesn't do much good if you aren't going to follow up on it," she scowled. Sousuke was almost within arm's reach of Ayame now, and Kaname wondered just how it was he could move without making noise in the crispy snow. "And I say again, you really better not have been planning on following up on it."

She looked sheepish, the blush on her face from more than just the frigid air, "No, Kana-nee. I wouldn't do that to you now."

"Right, I'm sure you wouldn't-!" suddenly Ayame screamed and Sousuke stood up behind her with a look of grim satisfaction. She flailed and pulled on the back of her shirt, trying to get the snow to fall through.

"It's cold, it's cold, it's cold, it's cold!" she shouted as she tried to get the snow out of her clothes. She released Kaname and ran into the house, yelling "You're mean!"

Kaname laughed, shaking her head, and looked up at Sousuke who grinned, "I win."

She nodded and smiled, holding out her arms and beckoning him to close the distance. He walked up to her and pulled her into a warm hug, kissing her neck softly as she giggled, "That you did. It's not fair, really, though, since I _did_ help keep her distracted."

"We make a good team," he pulled back to kiss her on the lips, then he picked her up.

"Sousuke!" she laughed, kicking her legs in mock struggle, "Sousuke, what are you doing?"

"Bringing you inside before you catch a cold," he carried her to the front yard and set her down just before the door. She smiled up at him and leaned in, resting against his chest. He held her tightly for a few minutes, standing there and enjoying the peaceful silence. No military exercises, no aircraft coming and going, no Arm Slaves running around practicing, no explosives, no machinery, just a few brave birds calling to each other in the snow and drifts falling from sagging branches.

Kaname sighed happily, "It's so peaceful here."

"Yes," he kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair. As if to spite them his phone rang, interrupting the silence they had enjoyed. Kaname pulled back with a groan while Sousuke pulled out the device and answered it with a scowl, "Uruz Seven."

He walked off a few steps, listening intently and answering when he had to. Kaname wrapped her arms around her chest and tapped her foot impatiently, watching him. Noticing her, he paused for a moment to excuse himself into the phone before turning back to her, "Kaname, why don't you go inside? This will take some time."

She blinked and tilted her head, finding that odd. Usually it was just 'Mission, use this route' and that was it. "Well, all right then, don't stay outside too long though and get sick," she waved and walked back into the house, trying not to let it get her down. This was supposed to be their time to relax together, away from the base, and to try to settle some personal business for when they could finally move back. Kaname sighed as she took off her coat and removed her boots, shaking her head.

It wasn't as though she hadn't known that it could happen, especially now that the Laevatein was operational. She had just assumed that since they had managed for the past few months that they would be willing to last a little longer so the two could do what they needed. She tugged on her bangs in frustration, sighed and shrugged, then walked into the living room where her father still sat, watching the news after having finished his paper. He glanced over at her, "Just what did Sousuke do to Ayame?"

Kaname smiled at him, "Ayame took me 'hostage' so he retrieved me. By shoving snow down the back of her shirt," she giggled. Shunya shook his head.

"Where is he?" he peered around her, noticing there was no one there.

"He's outside on the phone," she shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of it. "He'll come back in once he gets off his call. I'm going to take a shower and warm up." Shunya nodded and turned his attention back to the television.

It wasn't until after Kaname had gotten out of her shower that Sousuke came back inside. She looked up at him from her spot on the couch beside Ayame, who had gotten over the betrayal and was hugging her, "When do you leave?"

Ayame and Shunya looked at Kaname curiously for the question, and Sousuke shrugged, "They're working out the details, the Lieutenant Commander needed to ask me a few questions. It should be the middle of next week if the situation doesn't change."

"That's odd, what's going on?"

He glanced at the other two, and then returned his focus on Kaname, "I'll tell you later."

Kaname nodded, and Sousuke excused himself to get cleaned up. "Kana-nee, where does Sokkun have to go?"

She shrugged and laughed nervously in response. Even if Shunya and Ayame did both know he belonged to 'a secret military organization' they did not know any of the details and she was not about to be the one to explain specifics. It wasn't long before Sousuke returned, and he scowled at Ayame when he realized she wasn't going to move from the spot she claimed beside her sister. Kaname grinned up at him, "Sorry, Sokkun. You won the snow battle, Ayame won this." He sighed and took a seat on the opposite side of Ayame.

* * *

Kaname was fidgeting again. Sousuke glanced down at her, slipping his hand in hers and squeezing reassuringly. "Kaname, why are you so nervous?"

She sighed, "I just don't want Kyouko to think any less of me than she probably already does."

"Would you have called her and agreed to meet up with her if you really believed she would, that she does?" he watched her face carefully as he asked the question. She looked down at her feet thoughtfully.

"I guess I wouldn't have," she said quietly. She looked back up at him and smiled, "I'm sorry Sousuke. I've been worrying over every little thing. You must be getting so sick of it," she rested her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh.

He shook his head, the tips of his hair tickled her cheek and she realized she was going to have to cut his hair again soon, "Nonsense."

Kaname giggled and rubbed her head on his shoulder again before sitting up, the announcement for their stop chiming in the cabin. "Thanks, Sousuke."

"It's not a problem," he smiled down at her and she laughed again. They came to their stop and got off the train, walking towards the café they were meeting Kyouko at. Kaname held his hand, squeezing tightly, still nervous regardless of what she told herself. He squeezed back and she took in a deep breath, and then pushed open the door to the building. She looked around and found Kyouko standing up and waving to them. Kaname smiled and waved back, turning to look up at Sousuke.

"Give me a minute?" He nodded and took a seat at the counter, letting her talk with her friend alone. When Kyouko noticed the difference in Kaname, she looked at her with concern. Kaname kept her smile, trying to keep calm. Even though she was afraid her friend would reject her, no matter how many times she told herself it was an irrational fear, she kept her smile. "Hi, Kyouko, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

Kyouko nodded, still looking at her carefully, "Ah, Kana-chan, are you…?"

Kaname blushed and nodded, unconsciously bringing a hand to her stomach, "Yeah. I'm pregnant." She bit her lip and resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut, afraid of rejection.

For a few moments, neither of them said anything further. Kaname started to fidget once again, growing more and more afraid with her friend's silence. Suddenly, Kyouko clapped her hands together with an excited shout and threw herself at Kaname for a hug, "Kana-chan, congratulations! You have to tell me all about it, when are you due, do you know what you're having, c'mon, tell me!"

Kaname laughed, amused and relieved. "All right, all right, let's sit down and I'll tell you all about it. Mind if Sousuke comes over now?"

Kyouko giggled, "Of course not." Kaname smiled and called him over. The three sat down, ordered their drinks, and started talking. Kyouko was excited about the news, cooing over practically everything Kaname told her. She loved children – she even wanted to work at a toy company – and she was thrilled that her best friend was having a baby. "I'm so happy for you two, you're going to be great parents," she laughed. "I just hope Sagara-kun doesn't teach her anything that gets her into trouble. Can you imagine a mini-Sagara-kun running around an elementary school?"

Kaname glared at Sousuke and elbowed him, "He _better_ not," she growled.

He sputtered indignantly, "Kaname, I wouldn't! At least not on purpose-!" she elbowed him again, causing him to choke on his words as the air was knocked out of his lungs.

Kyouko grinned, "It's nice to see you guys are still the same. I was really worried about you, Kana-chan."

Kaname turned red, "Ah, maybe it's just being back in Tokyo. I haven't felt this energetic in awhile." Sousuke wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close, making her smile warmly at him. Kyouko grinned at them, snapping a picture of the loving couple.

"So, are you guys planning on getting married or anything?"

"Well, yes, but for now it's nothing major," Kaname sighed. She wanted to at least have a real wedding, but that would have to wait until after Shizuko was born and their life had calmed down drastically. "We're just going to get the legal stuff out of the way, worry about a real ceremony further down the road."

Kyouko nodded, "Makes sense. Ooh, you just have to let me know when you get to the real thing. I want to see you in a pretty dress, you'll be so amazing Kana-chan!"

"Of course," she laughed. "We're hoping to be living back here sometime soon, anyway. Right, Sousuke?"

Sousuke nodded, "Yes."

Kaname smiled and grabbed his hand under the table, gripping it tightly. He had told her last night that they had received information regarding the whereabouts of Amalgam's bases and research centers. How they had come across the information was unknown, but she was both grateful and nervous about it. She was grateful, because she desperately wanted to be able to have a normal life. She was nervous, because she never wanted to know again the fear she had felt when Sousuke had been severely injured a few months back. She was nervous, because she never wanted to know anything worse.

* * *

The next day saw the couple married. They had turned in their paperwork, got the certificate, and that was that. There wasn't really a ceremony, and it was just the two, no one else, but it was done. Sousuke played with the plain silver band on his finger, unaccustomed to having any jewelry other than his watch and dog tags. Kaname smiled at him and leaned against him, pulling her scarf up around the bottom of her face. He dropped his hands and reached for hers, entwining their fingers and staring down at her.

He wasn't a particularly sentimental person, but he had never thought a day like this would come. It was odd, thinking of himself as married, soon to be a father, all things he would not have considered in relation to him. When his fellow soldiers talked about their families he had never thought he could one day be in their shoes. Personal relations were not something he had ever been even remotely curious about until Kaname. It was dangerous to let someone get so close, but really, since the day he had fallen asleep when she had scissors in her hands and he was wrapped in a blanket he knew he had long since passed that point.

Kaname pulled her scarf down enough to press a kiss against his lips, blushing happily. It didn't matter to her anymore that they were young. She had known for some time that Sousuke was 'the one' and since they had been together, the way they had grown together in just the past year, she knew they would last through anything. "You know, Sousuke, at the end of the month we'll have been together for a year," she giggled and looked down at their interlocked hands. "And we're already married."

His cheeks turned slightly red and he smiled almost shyly at her, "Is that bad?"

"No," she shook her head, "because it's you." She leaned back up and kissed him again, and he wrapped his arms around her to deepen the kiss, for once not giving a damn that they were in public. He ignored the scowls being sent in their direction, but was happy all the same when their stop came up. He led her out of the train and to the hotel they were staying at that night. They had decided not to stay at her family's house that evening, instead choosing to spend time alone and enjoying their newly wed status while they could.

When they got in, Kaname stripped off her layers and sat down on the bed with a sigh, "What time are our reservations for dinner?"

Sousuke put down their bags and took off his own few layers of clothing and pushed her down onto the bed with a grin. "Not for a few hours," he whispered into her ear huskily.

She giggled and wrapped her self around him as best she could, "Good."

* * *

**AN: The Sokkun/sock thing has a story behind it that you can thank my beta for. It was too good not to include. I wanted Ayame to come up with a nickname for him anyways, and that was too much fun.**

**Also, I wanted to note that I've been considering writing something to the side of ATF that shows what the other characters are going through while Sousuke and Kaname's relationship is developing, since this is purely SxK centered. It'd be MaoxKurz definitely, most likely some TessaxYan (Hashiru One Night Stand and Tsuzuku On My Own made me think he'd be good for her), as well as probably some Jindai stuff. Let me know what you think.  
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	19. Chapter 19

**AN: I apologize for this taking over a month to get out. Been in a bit of a rut trying to write this. I swear I TRIED, it just refused to be written. It got to the point where I had to completely scrap the first three pages and rewrite them. Well, the following two chapters should be up within the week and I'll stop rambling now to let you get on with it.**

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* * *

Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Nineteen**

Sousuke fastened the last few buttons on his uniform shirt, made sure everything was strictly aligned, and turned to face Kaname. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with a pout he found adorable. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug that she feebly fought against. Pressing his lips to her temple he spoke softly, "I have to go now, Kaname."

"I know," she muttered, giving in to lean against him, sighing when he held her tighter. "I still don't want you to."

"I know," he kissed her cheek, and then tilted her face up to him so he could kiss her lips softly. "I have to do this, though. For Shizuko, and for you, I made that promise, right?"

She smiled faintly up at him and nodded. The fact that he was going on an operation, risking his life, because of her made her feel almost guilty. She wanted him to stay safe beside her. That was selfish, though, and she knew it. She also knew that if he didn't do this, if this mission wasn't successful, then really he would be in even more danger. Day after day having to wonder if Amalgam would strike if they were still around, and he would protect her to his death, she knew.

Amalgam were the only ones that posed a real threat, the only ones that matched Mithril in technology. With Amalgam gone, it wasn't really that she could say she would be safe, but she would be much safer. Sousuke could handle anyone else. He had certainly proved that over and over. She would always fear for him, protecting her, but most of her anxieties would be gone with Amalgam and the threat they posed in the form of their superior technology and resources.

"It should not be long, Kaname. I'll be back by your side soon, I promise," he kissed her again to silence the protests he knew she would voice. It was never wise to make a promise one may not be able to keep, but he was feeling confident. He had a good feeling, a strong feeling, he felt empowered and capable of taking on the world. It was because he had Kaname, this wonderful, strong willed, amazing girl that never stopped surprising him to return to, and their unborn child. Nothing would keep him from them, not ever.

Kaname sighed against his lips and nodded, "All right. I'll hold you to that, you know."

Grinning, Sousuke nodded, "I know. I love you, Kaname," he smoothed down her hair, kissing her one last time before standing up reluctantly.

"I love you too, Sousuke. Take care," she stood up and saw him out, standing on the raised level in the entryway and watched silently as Sousuke tied his boots, leaning against the wall. He rose and looked at her solemnly, starting to set his mind to the task ahead of him.

They leaned in to share one more kiss and he pulled back and opened the door. "I'm leaving now," and with that, he was gone. Kaname returned to the room she and Sousuke were sharing while they were staying with her family, closing the door behind her even though no one else was home at the moment. She lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, placing a hand on her swollen belly and rubbed gentle circles. When she felt the baby stir she smiled, feeling cheered by the little one growing inside of her.

Kaname closed her eyes and took in a deep breath with a smile on her face. She realized that it really wasn't too much to say that the child was probably the best thing that could have happened to her and Sousuke. At first she had been so panicked, feeling as though they weren't yet ready for the responsibility, thinking about everything that could go wrong, the situation they were in – just everything seemed to be against it at first glance. Now, though, everything seemed to be going right. Sure, Sousuke was now gone on a mission and there was always the potential that he may not return, but if the mission was a success then life would be looking up.

Perhaps they rushed their marriage because of the baby, but she could not think of a single person that she would rather be with. There were no 'dream men' she could think of either. If she stopped to think about how she wanted her future to be, what kind of man she wanted it to be with, it was always Sousuke she saw. She had no worries about Sousuke losing interest in her as she knew that he was the kind of man that would never stray once he had made his choice on who he wanted to be with.

If she had to describe him, she would have to say he was like an eagle. They mate for life, they're fiercely protective and territorial, strong, fast, fierce, and – she grinned – their mating habits were beautiful but brutal at the same time. Eagles had the ability to take down prey far larger than them and that was another reason she could consider him like one. The technique didn't really match at all, but the ability was there all the same. While she had some fear about the mission because of the way he had returned after the last one, she felt much better about this one. He would take down this large prey, of that she had no doubts.

Grinning, Kaname cooed softly and resumed stroking her stomach when the baby started fidgeting. She dragged her head from the gutter it had fallen into upon thinking of eagle's mating habits with a regretful sigh. Her hormones _would_ choose that moment to make her feel hot and bothered, and just after Sousuke left. She picked her thoughts back up from where she left off before she had distracted herself. The child was really an amazing thing for her and Sousuke's lives.

If not for her, there was the chance that the mission might not be on, as it was Sousuke who _really_ started poking his head around. The source of the information was unknown and it was possible that it was someone he had contacted that wanted to stay under the radar. They would still be at Merida, she would be lonely and probably working in the Research and Development on random projects, checking math just so she would have something to do while Sousuke took routine missions or trained. They would not be married. They would not be able to consider a life without Sousuke needing to report to Mithril.

She would probably still be weak and frail, hating her weakness. Once their decision had been made, thinking of their future with the child made her stronger. She was to be a parent. She had to set her issues straight so she could concentrate on the young one. Once she had found the resolve, it was actually quite easy. She was letting the words of people who did not know the situation affect her. Making fun of her for being a 'freak' with her knowledge was, when you got right down to it, the same as poking fun at those on the opposite end of the spectrum. It was an accident of birth, she could not help being what she was, and if not for the fact that she never would have met Sousuke if not for it, she would give up near everything to never have had to deal with being a Whispered.

Her own frustration at the situation had allowed her to take the students' cruel words too much to heart. What they said were all things that, deep down, she was thinking. It had been hurting her enough to have those thoughts eating away at her; it was made far worse by having them flung in her face by people who had previously been friendly with her. Making peace with her situation had enabled her to push the insults aside and get on with her life. They had no right to judge and so she did not care what they said, not anymore.

The only way Kaname could be any happier with her current situation would be for Sousuke to return and tell her the mission was a success and Amalgam was no longer a threat. All the problems that had come up seemed so trivial now. They were handling them, one by one, pushing forward step by step together. They had taken their vows, promising to continue walking on together, forever. Smiling softly with tender thoughts of her future with Sousuke and their daughter, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sousuke closed the door to Shunya's house and sighed, his breath a visible puff of air in the frigid winter weather. He adjusted his grip on the rucksack he had tossed over his shoulder, stood up straight, and started the trek to where he would be meeting his pick-up. He let his thoughts wander during the walk, as it was really the only chance he would have to think of things outside of the mission once he got to the Tuatha de Danaan. He lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky that threatened to give up its moisture, most likely as snow given the temperature. He bit back another sigh.

Kaname at least seemed to have been handling it well, but he could not help but feel guilty at that moment. It was something that had to be done, and quickly before things changed. That was why they had rounded up the resources and even got the US Military involved in the situation in such a short span of time. The quicker they were able to make their strike then the less time the enemy had to find out about it and come up with counter measures. Still, though, he was leaving his pregnant wife behind and there was the very real possibility he might not make it back. She would be well taken care of, sure, financially she would never want again if she managed the money smartly, but how would she feel were she forced into that situation?

Surely, she would hate him. He felt she probably hated him even just a little for putting her into the situation. He hoped he would never have to go through it again. He was considering putting in his resignation to Mithril once the mission was over and Amalgam was out of the picture. He would have to pay a penalty fee for breaking his contract, and he really didn't have any marketable skills outside of war and killing, but he was willing to try, if only so that he could be with Kaname more, and not have to put himself into danger and risk leaving her again.

He smiled softly as he pictured his wife as he had just left her, cheeks flushed and lips swollen from their frequent and often rough kisses before his departure, a hand resting unconsciously on her stomach to give comfort to their unborn child. It was weird, thinking about it, it made no logical sense, but she seemed to have a sort of glow around her lately, especially since she had started to show, and even more so from the first time she felt the baby move around inside of her. It made him feel, well, warm was the only way he could find to describe it. Prideful, too, he supposed, seeing her and knowing she was carrying his child. A little primal as well, he admitted to himself, knowing he was the only one and would be the only one ever to be with her like that.

The happiness he felt, the contentment, the excitement, the swirl of so many positive emotions just tightening in his chest until he could burst, the near constant pleasant buzz he had when he was with her, all of it was so much for him, it was an odd high, and he realized he did not want this to be the only time. He adjusted his hold on the cord, hefting the bag to sit higher up on his back and wondered what Kaname would say if he told her he wanted more than the one child. He felt he should wait, though, until their daughter was born, in case the pregnancy became hard on her. With four and a half months left it was far too early to be sure there would be no difficulties.

Sousuke bit his tongue to keep from feeling guilty again for leaving her. It was only for a week or so at most if everything went smoothly. Day of travel, briefing, being dispatched to stations, mission, debriefing, resting, returning, he could only hope everything would be all right while he was gone for the one week. Wraith was going to be watching over her again along with a raw recruit who would be taking his place as the bait guard for the time he was gone. No one that entered Mithril could really be classified as 'raw,' sure, the guy had combat experience, but not on the level that Mithril got involved in. With their strike on Amalgam they were expecting very little to happen, but another group could always try to get their hands on her, such as the KGB which surely had recovered their resources since their research center had been blown up nearly two years ago.

He arrived at the rendezvous and hopped into the transport when it dropped its ECS so he could spot it. The cloaking was immediately turned back on and the Pave Mare took off to bring them to the submarine. Kalinin was there which was a small shock to Sousuke, having expected to be alone as he usually was on these trips. He took a seat across from the older man and pulled a water bottle from his rucksack before shoving the bag under his seat. As it was just the two of them, they fore-went the military protocol, not standing on ceremony with no one watching. "Are you prepared for the mission, Sagara?"

Sousuke knew he meant mentally, and emotionally, and he nodded. "Yes sir, I'm ready to do this."

"Good," Kalinin leaned back in the seat and tilted his head up with a sigh. Sousuke's only reaction was to blink, though it made him wonder somewhat. The man seemed tired, and while Sousuke knew he wasn't as old as he looked, he figured Kalinin was probably feeling as old as he looked. After a few moments Kalinin righted his posture again and stared at the young man across from him. "You're probably wondering why I'm here."

He shrugged, "Not my place to wonder."

Kalinin nodded at that, "I was actually here because of you."

"Me, sir?" now he was curious. Did Kalinin get on the transport just to talk to him before the mission? That did not seem like something he would do.

"Yes, Sagara. See, in exchange for their man- and fire-power the US Military requested we do something for them in return. Seeing as how they are one of our biggest funders, monetary compensation does not make much sense. I was visiting one of the bases outside of Tokyo and discussing with the commanding officer the agreement." Kalinin paused, peering at Sousuke and seeing if there was any realization in his expression.

Sousuke took a swig from his water bottle, mulling over the words. "I am guessing I will be having some form of connection with this base, then, sir?"

Nodding again, Kalinin resumed speaking, "Yes. If you choose to accept, of course, else I could find someone else willing to fill the position, but I think you will find it to your liking. While of course those coming into Mithril have had previous combat experience, they still receive training once they have entered as we are far more intensive than standard military." Sousuke made a noise of agreement, having had to go through the rigorous training when he signed up three years prior. "Well, the US Military has decided that they desire our expertise.

"They will pick out their soldiers with the most potential and enter them into a special training program. Those soldiers will _not_ be made aware of our existence. I'm sure you have guessed by now, but the position I want you to fill is that akin to Drill Sergeant. It will be your job to train these men and turn them into the strongest, most highly skilled, and efficient soldiers that they can be. It will be your job to drag out every last shred of their potential, as well as to scout them as possible recruits for Mithril. We do reserve the right to take one or two of the very best from these training programs. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Sousuke let out a breath of air he had not realized he was holding. He would not have to leave Mithril after all it seemed. The job seemed perfect. Other than the rugby team, he had never trained anyone before though, so he wondered why he was being chosen when there were others more qualified than he, "If you don't mind my asking, why me?"

"Don't you want the position, Sagara?"

"Yes sir, I do. But there are others better suited to it, those with experience to bring into it. I will be learning as I teach. Is it really all right, sir?"

Kalinin nodded stiffly and sat back again. "Yes, Sagara, of course it is. If I did not think you could do it, I would not have chosen you. While you are young and have not experienced teaching, I still think you are one of the best for the position. You will not be thinking of it as being demoted, for one. Secondly, you will do your best by those men and you will not be soft on them. Third, you have the most combat experience of, well, anyone I can think of. Your experience rivals mine and I'm twenty-five years or so older than you.

"Combat is second nature to you, you won't ever have to stop to think about how something goes, you are very sure of yourself, you know how to win with or without numbers, supplies, technology, ammunition on your side. The ground work on these men has been done for you, you need to show them all the ins and outs that one can only learn by _doing_, and you have been _doing_ for near as long as I've known you. _That_ is why you are the best suited."

Sousuke sat back and took another sip of his water, thinking about what Kalinin said. He lowered his arms and stared at the floor for a few moments before raising his head to nod. "Thank you, sir. I do believe I am very interested in this position."

Kalinin nodded, "Very good. When we have all of the details worked out, I will give you the information. I do believe it will be safe to say that this will be your last mission with us though, if you do choose to accept."

The information came as a relief to Sousuke. He would be able to retain a job, not pay the fee for breaking his contract with Mithril, and the job would have them in Japan still. If it was at one of the bases just outside of Tokyo then that was even better, since it meant Kaname would still be close to her family and Kyouko. Assuming the girl didn't go to college or find a job farther away. No more missions, no more risking his life, but he would still be doing combat related exercises so he would stay sharp. It sounded perfect, really, when he thought about it. All he needed to do was talk to Kaname, and he figured his wife would be agreeable. He closed his eyes and sighed with a small smile on his face, thinking about Kaname and the brightening future they had to look forward to together.

* * *

The briefing was to be held shortly, since Kalinin was in charge of it, there was some leeway given in the scheduling for transport and getting the materials prepared. Sousuke tossed his rucksack in its cubby and left the room he bunked in to take a quick shower. When he returned, Kurz and Mao were there to greet him with big grins on their faces. Kurz slapped him on the back first chance he got, "How's the married life buddy?"

Sousuke sighed and shook his head, realizing he really ought to have expected it from them. He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up at the two, "Well, its only been a week, but it's been good."

"And just how good is that, Sou-hurk!" seeing his lecherous grin, Mao swept Kurz's feet out from under him, effectively laying out the blond on the ground. Sousuke's only reaction was to blink and shake his head, thinking that no matter what anyone said about how long it had taken him to learn some form of common sense, Kurz was far worse off than he was. Three years working with Melissa and he still managed to get knocked around several times a day. He was at two years trying to get on in society with Kaname watching over him and she had stopped carrying the harisen around with her several months ago.

Mao smiled at Sousuke in a way that suggested there wasn't a man rolling on the ground at her feet while yowling in agony. "I'm really glad for you guys. I guess, knowing you though, this will be the last time we're working with you," she spoke almost sadly. She liked working with Sousuke, he was reliable and smart, very highly talented and with a fantastic winning streak. The boy – no, _man_, she corrected herself – was like a little brother to her, and she had certainly watched him grow up in the past three years. It was good to see he had finally found a reason to live, though, instead of just surviving because that was what he had been taught to do from too young an age.

Sousuke nodded to her, "Yes. It likely is," he spoke curtly, but he actually found he felt somewhat forlorn at the thought. These people had been like a family to him, the closest people to him after his loss of Majhid and the Mujahideen he had been with in Afghanistan. They had been with him through one of the darkest times in his life and still accepted him even after he had abandoned them and left them for dead. Somehow, they knew when and how to be there for him, and how to get him thinking along the right lines. They had a lot to do with his maturing, he realized, as they didn't try to force him to their way of thinking, but instead guided him along into learning to think and make choices for himself.

Smirking, Kurz rose to his feet as though nothing had happened earlier and looked at Sousuke. "Well, just 'cause we won't be working together doesn't mean that we won't ever see each other again. You damn well better believe we'll be coming to visit you, and Kaname, and the little one." Their watches beeped, indicating that it was time to leave for the briefing. Still holding on to his mischievously jovial expression, Kurz turned to Mao and winked, "By the way, Lieutenant, may I just say that's a wonderful skirt you have on?" With that, he ran out of the room.

The two stared after him, and then Mao began to fume. "That, that, ooh, I'm going to kill him!" She chased after him, murder blazing in her eyes. Sousuke found the same thought from earlier passing through his head. Kurz really should have kept his mouth shut, Mao had never realized that she was wearing her female officer uniform with the skirt, and that she really had not inflicted enough pain for Kurz to be on the ground for so long. Maybe he was a masochist…

* * *

It was late in the afternoon with the sun hovering low in the sky when the news came in over their radios. Amalgam was crumbling fast. Their front companies were no longer capable of funneling cash to fund their research or to pay, well, everyone. Their cash flow had been altered, some accounts hacked, others frozen by the governments in the countries the business was in. The companies were defamed or destroyed, CEOs found dead or gone missing, clientele cancelling their business and demanding refunds. Those that helped to fund Amalgam withdrew their offers, saying it was too risky to continue working with them and froze money transfers or called in fraudulent transactions, continuing to ruin the reputations of whatever public entities Amalgam had.

What computers of theirs that were not on isolated lines were hacked and any research data that was there was destroyed, information on any VIPs in the organization were stolen, and powerful viruses were uploaded to further destroy the computer system. Not taking any chances that everything had been taken care of through those means, all of the research facilities and laboratories were destroyed. Some by bombs or computer viruses planted by moles, others by explosives planted soldiers, and still others were destroyed by cruise missiles launched by either Mithril or American ships. Everything was carefully organized so they were destroyed as close to the same time as they could calculate for.

Military bases were taken care of in whatever manner it seemed they could use the least man-power for. Some were taken care of similarly to the research facilities, with bombs or missiles. Others found dozens of M9s and hundreds of M6s of the A2 and A3 models storming them. One other base found itself faced with an all new Arm Slave, a white and red unit with a cooling unit similar to the type used in Amalgam's Codarl. The base was the same one that had taken out Sousuke three months prior, and it had been judged as the most dangerous.

Sitting in the Master Room of the ARX-8 Laevatein, Sousuke drew in a deep breath to settle the nerves caused by excitement. Things were going well based on the reports. That was why they had been broadcast, of course, to boost morale and show that they could, in fact, pull the operation off and destroy Amalgam once and for all. If things had not been going well, they either would have heard an order to withdraw or nothing at all. He readjusted his grip on the stick and stared at his nearly empty screen.

Communications with the others was going to be extremely important for this mission. Because of the size and complexity of all of the other devices installed in the Laevatein there had been no room to build in ECS or ECCS functions, or even most of the basic radars he had taken for granted in the M9s. The unit was by far the fastest and most powerful, but it lacked most of the baser technologies. He had a lambda driver and the Fairy Feather though, and with that latter he could have been in nearly any AS unit and still be able to win in the upcoming battle. It would come down to the skill of the pilot now and not their ability to use the lambda driver.

With how strong and fast the Laevatein was it would be even easier. He would not want to use it unless he came across that dark silver Arm Slave though, as the last thing he wanted was for his unit to overheat and become useless before that battle. He also did not want to show that they had such a weapon available to them, and ruin the surprise for that one pilot. No, after what had happened last time, he wanted the pilot of that unit to squirm in fear. Nothing wrong with some good old fashioned revenge if it did not get in the way of the objective.

Sousuke grinned, more prepared than ever to get started on the mission. He reigned in the eagerness, knowing that could very easily get him killed, but it felt like his blood was humming in his veins. His senses were sharper than usual, every little sound he could pick up, colors seemed more vivid and even if he had been in the more complex M9s or back in the Arbalest he would have been able to take in all the information on the screen at once instead of glancing from one item to another. He stretched his fingers again and gripped the joystick tightly.

"Here we go!" Mao shouted over the radio, and all of the units charged in with a 'Roger.'

After indicating his readiness over the line, Sousuke nodded to the screen and took one last steadying deep breath, "Let's do this, Al." He thrust the stick forward and he felt himself take off with an incredible speed, taking care not to bite his tongue.

"Roger, Sergeant."

It had begun.


	20. Chapter 20

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Twenty**

Kaname hummed happily, stirring the various pots of soup on the stove. Making sure everything was taken care of, she set to washing the rice before adding it to the rice cooker and turning it on. Wiping her hands off, she grinned, looking at everything set up. It had been awhile since she had tried to make a meal with many dishes, and she was feeling good, looking at how well everything was going. Next, she set to work preparing the tofu for frying. While she was squeezing out one of the blocks, her father and sister walked in, checking up on her.

"You look so happy, Kana-nee!" Ayame clapped her hands together, glad to see her sister looking cheery. Kaname smiled and wrapped up the tofu in paper towels to soak up the rest of the moisture.

Patting them down, she nodded, "Yeah. It's my first time cooking for this friend, so I'm hoping she likes it." She unwrapped the tofu and cut it into slices with practiced ease. It was a little disappointing that Sousuke would not be there to enjoy the meal she was making, but if everything turned out well then perhaps they could do it again. As it was, it had taken a time when Sousuke was gone for her to finally get Wraith to agree to eating a meal with her. Some time ago she had found out that Wraith was, in fact, a woman, and guessing by her food preference, she was probably Korean. Well, she would find out one way or another, that was her goal.

Ayame sidled up next to her and watched her dredge the tofu slices through flour and set them aside. "Can I help?" She still had a lot to learn about cooking, and Kaname hadn't shown her how to fry tofu before.

"Sure thing," she finished the slice she was on and stepped aside, walking her sister through the process. She heated the oil in a wok and then showed her how to fry them, flipping the slices over with a long pair of metal chopsticks. Ayame watched in awe, whimpering when the chopsticks were handed to her. "You got this, come on. Don't be afraid, if you're too slow and cautious you'll get splashed. Just do it like I did."

Shunya shook his head at the sight, then turned his attention to the front when he heard a knock. He left the kitchen to answer the door, opening it to find a woman who looked like she could have been anywhere from in her twenties to her thirties with straight shoulder-length hair and with a hostile expression seemingly permanently glued to her face. She wore a stylish tailored business suit that made her age seem even more ambiguous, adding youthful style with an air of maturity. The woman narrowed her gaze at him, seeming to size him up and he had the distinct feeling it was in the nature of a predator analyzing their prey. He clenched his jaw and returned the glare, oddly enough causing the woman to smirk at him. She reached out a hand, "Rhee Jung, you must be Kaname's father, Shunya."

He blinked slowly then grasped her hand and shook it, trying not to show his confusion. He had expected Kaname's friend to be someone from her school, someone her age. "Yes, I am. You must be the friend Kaname invited over for dinner then."

"That would be me," Wraith nodded along with her verbal confirmation. Shunya then invited her in and showed her to the kitchen, shaking his head again and reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose. The woman seemed to make everything into a challenge, giving him the impression that this would be another of those long nights full of headaches that all of his eldest daughter's acquaintances seemed to bring him.

* * *

"That's three down," Al voiced after a kill, reloading the shot cannon for Sousuke while he maneuvered towards the site where most of the action was taking place. Things were going surprisingly smoothly. Either the base had reduced their defense since three months prior or Amalgam was having a problem mobilizing their troops. Since they could no longer pay their men, it was quite likely many were abandoning the organization and fleeing into the forest. It was also likely that officers had killed men who indicated such an inclination. Either way, they weren't being met with much opposition, and those that were fighting seemed to be poorly coordinated.

It was more a massacre than a fight with how easy it was going. It was almost unnerving, being able to wipe out their enemy which they had been at such odds with for so long. Something would go wrong, surely, it was just a matter of time. Likely that strange AS would start working on the troops that had no defense against its formidable power and whittle down their numbers, since with the way things were going that AS would be the only one that could do it. He hoped that the AS was even at this base. If it was at another then they would have a problem. There would not be a complete wipe out of Amalgam if that were the case.

"Uruz Seven, we got another ECS cloaked machine coming up at our ten, take care of it?" the calm voice of Mao sounded in the cockpit, and Sousuke flipped open his communications to respond and head out. He was trying to take it easy and not display too much of his unit's power, he had reduced the power output to match an M9's early on, and now he ran towards the cloaked enemy at a reasonable speed to dispatch it quickly.

"Four down," he muttered at the same time Al announced it. "Al, don't you think this is a little easy?"

"Of course it is, Sergeant. Together we far outclass all of our enemies." Sousuke shook his head. It was really too much that the artificial intelligence had such a strong sense of pride that almost bordered on hubris at times. "We are even stronger than before. We can take on anyone here." Check that, he thought, Al was definitely displaying some hubris.

With a soft sigh, Sousuke turned his head to look around. "We are stronger, Al, but what about that other AS? The one that destroyed the Arbalest…," he trailed off, only vaguely recalling the event. That was a blessing, really, given what he was told about his condition.

"Are you afraid of it, Sergeant?"

Sousuke growled, "You're so irritating. I'm not afraid, Al, I'm just worried that you're overconfident." He could not believe he was admonishing a computer for having pride. Perhaps he had gone insane at some point over the years.

"You always say such cruel things. I do not believe I am being overconfident, Sergeant. I have studied the records from our previous encounters and believe that we are a match for it now."

"Do you really think it's safe to say that machine was not hiding any tricks like I have been in this?" he muttered, wondering why and how it was that he was considering more details than Al.

The AI was silent for a few moments and Sousuke took the moment of silence to draw in a deep breath and clear his mind. "Regardless, that unit relied heavily on the lambda driver. With the Fairy Feather we will be able to eliminate most of that unit's functions and take it out."

Sousuke tapped his finger on the joystick then gave a small shrug, "All right. I'll hold you to that, though. If we get defeated-."

"You'll scrap me. I know. Could you think of a more original threat, Sergeant?"

"I hate you," he muttered under his breath, "It'd be a lot easier to create new threats if you were flesh and blood," that he spoke louder, though he knew Al heard both comments.

"I see."

"Uruz Seven, we've got a problem over here," that was Mao again, and he picked up the faint trace of fear in her voice.

Sousuke flipped open the channel again, "On my way. What's the problem Uruz Two?"

"That unit that destroyed the Arbalest has shown up."

"Understood." Sousuke grinned. For all that he had been chiding Al for his confidence in their ability to take it on, he felt good about the prospective fight. There were very few times he could say that killing someone brought him personal satisfaction beyond that of a job well done. He would certainly enjoy this one. He hoped that the unit's appearance meant that the fourth Venom had been the last one. It would be good to drag the fight on just long enough to be sure the pilot had time to acknowledge his own mortality and feel fear.

Now, the hunt was on.

* * *

Ayame worked on setting the table while Kaname finished moving the food into their serving dishes and placed everything on the table. Wraith leaned against the wall, watching the girls move about and staying out of their way. Since the mission to guard Kaname had somewhat changed, and especially since Kaname had done some work for Mithril, she found it was okay to accept the invitation to dinner that Kaname had been trying to get her to take for the past year or so. She waited until Sousuke had left, though, since the two did not get along particularly well.

Once everything was on the table, Kaname crossed her arms over her chest and nodded approvingly, "There! All set!"

Shunya walked back into the kitchen when he heard Kaname, and the four took up their seats. Ayame helped serve the food in her sister's place, letting her rest after being up for so long cooking. Kaname smiled gratefully at the younger girl and let her fill up her plate, laughing when she put too much food on. "I know I'm pregnant Ayame, but I'm not eating _that_ much, at least not yet!"

Ayame grinned sheepishly, filling up the guest's plate and then her father's before taking care of herself. Once they were all served she sat back and they started eating. "Mm, Kana-nee, you're such a good cook!" she spoke with her mouth still full with a rice grain on her cheek.

Giggling, Kaname reached over and wiped it away, "Ayame, you know better," she chided gently. Shunya watched the exchange and shook his head slightly in wonder. Since Shizu had died Kaname had taken over being Ayame's mother-figure, but even back then, when she was really trying at it, when Ayame had really needed it, she had not displayed it quite so well. It was obvious to him that her maternal instincts were already kicking in and he smiled in spite of himself. Seeing her act motherly with her younger sister helped to calm his fears about whether she was really ready to be a parent or not.

Wraith had to agree with Ayame. The food was excellent, and it had been a long time since she had Korean food that was so good. She was not much of a cook herself, so the meal was quite the treat. "Kaname, you said this was your first time making chige-nabe?"

Turning her attention back to her guest, Kaname nodded, "Yeah. Did it come out all right?"

"It's amazing," slipped out, and Wraith turned her attention back to her food objectively, pretending she had not let that happen. Kaname giggled at the behavior, recognizing a similar stoic shyness to Wraith that Sousuke had. It wasn't the same, his was caused mostly from not having been allowed to display his emotions most of his life, Wraith's seemed to be due to not _wanting_ to display her emotions most of the time. She supposed a lot of it had to do with her job as a spy, since inadvertently showing an emotion could easily get her killed.

"Good, I'm glad. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it right or not. How did the kimchi come out? And the tofu soup?" she really was curious. She did not normally make Korean food so she was curious what a native thought. Kaname was happy with how it came out for herself, but it was different for Wraith, who was from North Korea. That would be an interesting story, she thought briefly, how Wraith managed to escape her position as a North Korean spy and end up in Mithril.

Wraith nodded shortly, taking a sip of her water to mask her resettling back into her usual demeanor. "It all came out quite excellent, Kaname. Tastes just like I remember it from home."

"Where is home for you, if you don't mind my asking?" that was Shunya, speaking in between bites.

"Daegu, South Korea," she answered, lying. Kaname sipped her water to cover a smile at the lie, knowing where she got the idea to say that place. Saying anywhere in North Korea would be bad, since it would lead to questions about how she had managed to get out, and in Mithril there was a soldier that was from Daegu. Kaname had met him a few times since he worked pretty closely with Sousuke, Mao and Kurz really being the only ones that worked with him more. Figuring Wraith had most likely read up extensively on everyone's files, she probably knew enough about Yan Jun-kyu's history and hometown by now to pretend it was her own. Aiming to steer the topic away from her, Wraith turned to Kaname, "Do you know what you're having?"

Caught off guard by the question, Kaname hesitated, before realizing what she was asking. Laughing lightly, she nodded, "Yeah. It's going to be a girl."

"I see. How does Sagara feel about that? I would think he would want a son to corrupt."

"He's excited, he really didn't care what the gender was, he's just happy to be a father. And you could be nicer to him you know," she shot Wraith a warning glare. Wraith just shrugged and continued eating, easily ignoring the look.

"We don't get along. Besides, tell him to be nice to me and I'll consider it."

Kaname tossed her hair, "Hmph. Don't think I won't. Besides, if you want to eat my home-cooked meal again, you better be prepared to spend dinner with him, too! You two need to get over it already, you're like children, I swear!"

Wraith stared at the food on her plate and weighed the pros and cons of suffering a dinner with Sousuke. Ultimately, she decided that the food was good enough, and screwing with Sousuke was fun enough, that she would do it. Damned if she would admit it at that moment though.

* * *

Sousuke decided that the time for hiding his power was over, "Al, maximum output."

"Roger, Sergeant, increasing output seventy-percent, eighty-percent, ninety-percent, maximum output reached," Al reported. As he was running to meet with Mao and the others to take care of that AS he felt the speed rapidly increasing. Mentally he cursed himself for forgetting just how powerful the unit really was, and had to keep himself from swallowing his tongue. He opted to remain silent at the time since talking would be difficult in the Gs he was experiencing.

They reached the hot spot quickly and Sousuke immediately dove in, firing a shot off that was easily blocked by the enemy's lambda driver. He was not concerned, however, only firing it to draw the attention to him and away from the others. He then sped forward, darting around the enemy unit in a taunting manner, essentially gloating about his superior speed and maneuverability. He led the AS away from the battle where their ground troops and a few M9s were subduing the enemy foot soldiers and the less advanced of the enemy's military technology. Sousuke noticed the high spot of the terrain that Kurz had used as a sniping point last time, and where he probably was at that moment. The spot he was in was the one where the Arbalest had been destroyed.

Fitting.

He felt as though his blood were singing in his veins and grinned, for once allowing himself to enjoy the adrenaline high at least a little. "All right you bastard, it's my turn now," he growled, tightening his grip on the joystick and turning to face the enemy. "Al, initiate the Fairy Feather."

"Roger, Sergeant. Fairy Feather initiated. Active," Sousuke was grateful that Al did not decide to remark on his comment. He got into enough fights with the AI as it was. When the enemy fired his weapon he rolled out of the way, and when he noticed it try to deploy its odd wings the hesitation made it clear that the pilot was thoroughly confused as to why his lambda driver was not functioning. Not wanting to prolong the battle _too_ much, Sousuke darted in swiftly and tore off one of the enemy's arms.

The pilot clearly was _not_ used to actually being put on the defensive, and Sousuke had the distinct notion that he had probably never piloted anything other than that shiny toy of his. Making him realize his own mortality would be all the more satisfying then. The next arm was torn off. When it tried to retreat, Sousuke blew out one of the legs with his shot cannon. He still tried to retreat, kicking feebly at the ground in an effort to propel the unit forward. Sousuke shook his head in disgust. The enemy was so afraid that he did not even realize that once he made it to the tree line he would no longer be able to advance. Too afraid or that lacking in experience. Regardless, he was beginning to feel ashamed for being defeated by such a miserable foe, and the game began to lose its fun. He kicked the enemy over and pointed his gun at the cockpit.

What happened next was a surprise to Sousuke. A rather pleasant one, in the way that a large wounded prey taking its last steps outside the lair of a predator is pleasant for the hunter. The joy found its way back into the moment for him and he found himself grinning menacingly. Yes, this was a life he would enjoy taking.

* * *

Kaname accepted Wraith's offer to help her clean the dishes, and shooed off Ayame and her father. She wanted to talk to Wraith alone. Grateful that the woman had taken the more difficult task of actually washing the dishes, she stood there with a drying rag in her hand and the worried expression she had been staving off all day, "Any news?"

Knowing exactly what the question meant, Wraith shrugged. "I was in contact with intelligence just after the initial strike. Everything went well, so it all depends on those storming the bases now. I could try to find out how it's going but unless it's over I doubt I'll get an answer. They'll be too busy keeping tabs on everything." She answered calmly and so matter-of-factly that Kaname giggled. Wraith reminded her of Sousuke sometimes, and she wondered if that was why they could not get along. As she had thought earlier, of Sousuke being like an eagle, if Wraith was one too then surely they would be trying to rip each other apart in the skies.

Predators did not do well with others of their kind in their territory.

She giggled again, closing the cabinet where she had just put away a pot. Predators fought over three things: Prey, Territory, and Mates. The prey were those that tried to attack her, the territory was wherever Kaname was living, and she herself was the mate. She was unable to bite back the laugh at the thought of Wraith fighting Sousuke over _her_. Wraith glanced over at her with her usual glare, "You just thought of something rude, didn't you?"

Kaname blew the bangs out of her face as she took the next dish to dry and returned the look, "Why do you and Sousuke always call me rude? Honestly, you think so little of me."

Wraith just shrugged and dove elbow deep into the warm water and suds, "If you feel that way then why are you with him?"

"It was a joke," she answered flatly. "You're even more clueless than he is."

"I am not!" she sputtered indignantly.

Kaname managed to hold in the laugh to grin and give Wraith a 'knowing' look, "Oooof _cooouuuurse_ you're not. I mean, that simply isn't _possible_, is it? The world might end if there was someone out there denser than _Sousuke_."

Growling, Wraith attacked with the only weapon safe enough to use on the girl. Kaname's shirt was soaked and there were bubbles sticking to her chest and hair, as well as a few smatterings on her face. "Ooh, that does it! You're in for it now!" she reached over and pulled a pot from the sink and dumped its contents over Wraith's head. The woman spluttered, blinking away the water from her eyes and slowly reaching up her arms to push her soaked hair out of her face. Kaname stood with the pot over one shoulder, ignoring the water dripping down her shirt, and another hand folded up on her hip in a triumphant pose with an almost sadistic grin.

Wraith reached out quickly, cranking on the sink water and grabbing the sink hose to spray Kaname down with cold water. When Kaname shouted in surprise her father and sister burst into the kitchen asking quickly what was wrong. Upon seeing the state the two were in, Ayame burst into a fit of giggles and Shunya drew up to his full height with a long, suffering sigh. Kaname grinned sheepishly and 'hid' the pot behind her back. She knew it had already been seen, but that didn't stop her from keeping it out of view. Wraith, well, did not look any different from normal. She did not seem to be angry or embarrassed at the state they had been caught in, even though they had been acting like a couple of children. In fact, Kaname swore she saw the beginnings of a smirk on the woman's face. She really needed to get Wraith out more often!

Shunya took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose for what felt like an eternity, and then put the lenses back on. "Ayame, since you find it so funny, _you_ can clean it up. It would not be nice to make our guest or your pregnant sister spend their time cleaning up any more than they already have, would it?" Ayame stared at her dad in shock, wondering just why she was the one being punished. "Kaname, you should shower and change, the last thing you want is to catch a cold. I'll finish up the dishes once Ayame has cleaned up the mess."

Kaname was also staring at her father, completely surprised. She had expected him to shout, or to at the very least demand that she clean up the mess. Hell, she would not have put it past him to demand Wraith help, regardless of the fact that she was their guest. She felt bad for Ayame, but she had to admit she really could use a rest. She would make it up to the girl later, she decided. For now, she said good-bye to Wraith so the woman could also clean up and change, quietly asking her to give a call with any news she could relay when it came in. She did not care what the hour, doubting she would get much sleep that night knowing that Sousuke was out there fighting at that very moment.

* * *

Leonard Testarossa decided he would prefer to survive, and had opened the cockpit to his Belial, exiting with his arms up in surrender. He was expecting the taser that the Mithril units usually had to knock him out, but instead the unusual AS drew back and seemed to size him up. Mithril always took prisoners where they could, they liked information, and besides, he was their beloved captain's brother. How could they kill him?

Sousuke debated opening his own cockpit and shooting Leonard down, but thought better of it. That would leave _him_ vulnerable too. Sure, he had the high ground, literally and figuratively in this instance, but he did not want to give anything for Leonard to work with. Besides, what if there was a sniper and this was a trap? No, he would not exit his unit. He also would be taking no prisoners. Nor would any enemy _he _saw be running to freedom. He would, however, talk to the man, for just a moment. Sousuke flipped the switch for his external speakers.

"Leonard Testarossa."

The man glared up at the unit defiantly, trying for all the world to look as though he felt he was doing Sousuke a _favor_ by offering himself up as captive. It seemed he did not recognize Sousuke's voice. That was fine. He would learn who was killing him, and why, soon enough. "You know my name. I should not be surprised, I _am_ worth knowing after all. Pity someone like you could never hope to achieve greatness like me."

"You do not look so great from where I am standing," the shot cannon was still in Leonard's face.

"Of course not, what could an ingrate possibly understand of greatness? You will never comprehend my genius."

Sousuke wondered if the man really believed everything he was saying. He resisted the urge to shake his head, knowing the movement would be telegraphed by the Laevatein. The man was almost pitiful. "You will not survive this encounter, Leonard. Do you want to know why?"

He noticed the panic, having Leonard zoomed in on his screen in a window to monitor his actions. That panic felt good. Leonard composed himself quickly, and for that Sousuke had to begrudgingly give him some credit. Managing to look so haughty when staring down the barrel of a 57mm shot cannon took some amount of courage. Or an incredible amount of conceit. "Why do I care what savage creatures like you do?"

"I believe you'll recognize me when I tell you my name. Sousuke Sagara," at first Leonard seemed furious, likely because Sousuke was ignoring what he had to say. Next, he looked absolutely shocked. He did not know that Sousuke had survived their last encounter. "I will kill you because of what you have done to my wife," _that_ got _quite_ the reaction.

"_Wife_?! WIFE?! Who would marry someone like you?!" he knew full well who Sousuke was talking about. He did not want to believe it though. His Kaname was a better woman than that, she would not stoop so low as to marry an infidel, would she? No, she was too perfect, beauty, grace, strength, fire, intelligence, she was everything everyone could ever wish to be. Why would she marry someone with so many glaring imperfections? Why not someone like himself?

"You know exactly who I am talking about. Now, tell me, is there anything you wish me to tell her, or your sister? I'm feeling gracious enough to pass on a message," he decided to answer Leonard's arrogance with his own. It would make him so angry, and the red rapidly coloring Leonard's face confirmed it. This would not go much longer. He would give the man the chance to reply, and then he would be dead. He had wasted enough time.

Leonard growled, the sensitive mic picking up the sound, "You son of a bitch. How dare you touch someone like her. She was perfect! You ruined her!"

"I grow bored of this topic," he twitched the finger on the trigger theatrically. It was enough. The strong camera picked up the beads flowing down Leonard's face. The man had broken into a cold sweat. Good.

"You wouldn't kill me. What would dear Tessa say? Don't you think that's a little harsh, going back and reporting you killed her brother in cold blood?"

"Do you see anyone here? This is between you and me. But, well, since you seem so eager to stall and not actually answer me, I guess this is over. It'll be good to tell Kaname that the man that she fears and detests is gone and will no longer be able to hurt her or touch her."

"I would never hurt her! I love her, it's _you_ that will hurt her, yo-!!"

Sousuke had heard enough. His own patience had its limits and Leonard had used it up. Implying that he would hurt Kaname, he growled and ejected the monomolecular cutter, and thrust it forward, cutting Leonard in half. The spinning blade grinded in the metal, vibrating heavily and causing a gory mess of blood and metal and sparks. He took in a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh. A weight seemed lifted from his shoulder's with Leonard's death. Time to rendezvous with the group.

* * *

Kaname smiled at Ayame, walking the younger girl through how to make baklava. She figured the treat was something her sister would enjoy, and so she taught her how to make it as a silent apology for having to clean up her mess the other day. She was not being completely altruistic, however, as she intended to steal some of the dessert aside for Sousuke, who was returning that day. She doubted Ayame would mind, but she had chosen that particular dessert since she figured with the nuts and honey it would be something Sousuke would enjoy. There were not many sweet things that he did like, but honey was one of them.

Once it was in the oven they went into the living room to rest and watch television. Shunya folded up his paper and put it aside, looking at the girls huddled together under a blanket on the couch. "You said Sousuke is returning today, Kaname?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure what time he'll be back though. Could be anytime between now and after midnight."

"I see. You must be excited," the statement was unneeded. Since Kaname had gotten word that they had been successful she had been a bundle of excitement, having a hard time winding down during the day, though thankfully she was sleeping easy enough. Now that the day of his return had arrived she was even more jittery, unable to sit still for long. They all hoped that he got back on the sooner side so she could calm down. She had not been able to talk to him the whole time he had been gone, and it was driving her near crazy. It had been a _very_ long time since she had not been able to see or talk to him for even a few days, let alone a whole week. The last time she had not been able to _talk_ to him was because of his injuries. She did not want to think about that.

When a knock sounded on the door Kaname leapt off the couch, causing Ayame to yelp when the blanket flew off, and she ran to answer the door. Shunya shook his head, "She's going to feel silly if that isn't Sousuke." Ayame giggled.

From the excited shout they surmised that it _was_ Sousuke, and they both relaxed, realizing for the first time that Kaname's anxiety had wound them up as well. They both walked in, Sousuke smiling at his wife's enthusiasm as she chattered excitedly about what had happened while he was gone, detailing the dinner with Wraith and the subsequent water battle. Sousuke stopped to greet Ayame and Shunya before he was herded into the bedroom. Once there, and with the door closed, he dropped his rucksack and drew Kaname into a tight hug, content to hold her and breathe in the delicate scent of her hair.

Kaname sighed happily, leaning into his hold. It felt good to be wrapped up in his strong arms again. He murmured something into her ear and she had to ask him to repeat himself. He hesitated, and then motioned for them to take a seat on the bed, citing the reason that he had much to talk about. They laid down and Sousuke rested a hand on her stomach, both staying still and silent for several long moments, enjoying each other's presence. Finally, he spoke back up, "I killed Leonard." There was no delicate way to say it, he had surmised. "He had been the pilot of the AS that nearly killed me last time," he hoped that bit of information would take some of the sting out of his words. He knew how she felt about death and killing, and was grateful she accepted him despite it.

Biting her lip, Kaname lifted one hand to settle partially on top of Sousuke's, taking a moment to let the information sink in. Leonard had been the face of her fears since she had met him, the one she thought of whenever she thought of the troubles she faced, and the troubles Sousuke faced. Gauron had been the first face, but when he had, as they all had thought, died on the TDD, things seemed easier to bear. She knew that there was still danger, but without a face to put to that danger it had seemed surreal. Leonard had added to her terrors when he had given her another face.

She felt herself relaxing, really relaxing for the first time in an extremely long time. With the death of _this_ face of danger was also gone the source of the real threat posed to her. There were other groups, sure, like the KGB from before, but they were nothing compared to Amalgam. Still a danger, yes, but she felt she could breath far easier now. Amalgam was finally gone. As was the one that had nearly taken Sousuke from her. She could never forgive Leonard for everything he had done, and while she did not necessarily approve of the way things were done in the world Sousuke lived in, she had to admit that she was now part of that world. Leonard's death was a _very_ good thing in that world. She heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

"It is not a problem," he leaned over and kissed her, running his hands down her body. When a knock sounded on the door, he growled.

"Kana-nee, it's time to make the sauce!" Ayame's voice chimed from the other side of the door.

Kaname laughed at Sousuke's sour expression and gently rolled off the bed and stood. "All right, Ayame, I'm coming," she turned to Sousuke. "Do want to rest or do you want to come keep us company? We're making baklava."

At the mention of the treat, Sousuke stopped looking so angry, "Baklava? I'll come watch." Kaname laughed at him and left the room, leading the way to the kitchen with him following like a puppy dog. Sousuke poured himself a glass of water then took a seat at the table to watch the girls. He smiled in contentment, watching the two, thinking of what it would be like when their daughter was old enough to help in the kitchen. It would be nice to watch Kaname teaching their little girl how to cook. His smile broadened at the thought, and his eyes followed Kaname with a tender light.

Every so often she turned around to smile at him, thinking the same thing he was. Teaching Ayame was good practice for teaching Shizuko, and she hoped that her daughter wound up having the same enthusiasm for cooking that she did. It would be exciting to pass on the things her own mother had taught her. She only wished that Shizu was alive to do the passing on as well. When it was finished she handed a piece to Sousuke who took it enthusiastically. Kaname laughed at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, narrowly avoiding dipping her hair in the sticky dessert, and told him to let it cool down some first.

She left to deliver a piece to Shunya, and Sousuke and Ayame both shared conspiratorial glances before lifting the treats to their mouths. When Kaname returned and saw the two chugging their cold drinks she laughed at them and shook here head, "That's why I said wait, you two! You're worse than children!" she laughed. The pair at least had the grace to look sheepish.

Once the baklava had a chance to cool down they tried again. "This is very good Kaname, Ayame," Sousuke praised in between bites. The girls both smiled at him, thanking him.

Ayame looked over at her sister, "Thanks for showing me how to make this, Kana-nee! This is so good! I'm gonna make it every week!" she laughed. She knew she wouldn't, at least not for long, but it was fun to dream. If Kaname showed her something else then she would likely latch onto that.

Kaname giggled and shook her head, "You don't want to do that, you'll get sick of it. If you have it too often then it's not a treat anymore."

When it was finished they all washed off their sticky fingers, and Kaname packed up the rest and put them in the freezer, telling Ayame that she better not find any more missing before dinner, and then she and Sousuke returned to their room to finish their talk. Sousuke had said there was more to tell her, he had just gotten distracted and then Ayame had called Kaname out. Once back in the room with the door closed, they resumed their position on the bed, Sousuke holding her close.

"I got a job offer."

"A job offer?" she looked up at him, confused. Why would he need a job offer? When had he gone _looking_ for a job?

Sousuke nodded, "Yes. Kalinin told me about it on the way to the TDD, and then after the mission he gave me the rest of the information. I told him I would call back with my answer, but that it was most likely 'yes.'"

"What is it?"

"Well, it seems we have some debt to pay to the American military now. I would work at Camp Zama, in Zama, and we would most likely live in Sagamihara. It's not _too_ far from Musashino so you would be able to see your family. What I would be doing is training the best of their soldiers to be even better, recruiting some for Mithril but mostly just giving the US Military some exceptional soldiers. It seems they're somewhat jealous of our skills," he said the last dryly. Getting the US Military to admit any jealousy would be like pulling teeth, but damn if they wouldn't jump on any chance they had to steal what made them envious. That was the way Mithril was viewing the situation, and he had to agree.

Kaname stared at him for a long time, before slapping his shoulder, "What are you waiting for you idiot?! Why didn't you just say you'd take the job?! Get on that phone right now mister!"

Sousuke stared at her in shock, doing his best impression of a fish on dry land, before finally shaking his head. _Damned if you, damned if you don't_. He sighed. "I wanted to run it by you before I accepted. I did not think you would like it if I made the decision without you."

She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him, "I still don't see you on that phone, sergeant."

"Understood," he gingerly extricated himself from the bed, careful not to hurt Kaname as he clambered over her. He retrieved his bag and dug out the phone he used for work and punched in a number to reach Kalinin. When the older man answered, Sousuke greeted him and told him he was taking the job. Kalinin was not in the slightest bit shocked to hear from him on the same day, having expected that Kaname would do, well, exactly what she had done. Beat Sousuke for not immediately accepting the position. He had heard stories of the girl's violence. She was legendary among the Merida Island soldiers, especially after the debacle with the scientists. That story had somehow not managed to stay private.

Once he had hung up the phone, he crawled back into bed with Kaname, pulling her close. She giggled at him, pretending to resist for a few moments before letting him win the battle. In between kisses she managed to get out, "I guess we should start looking for a house."

That only seemed to fuel the flames of his ardor.

* * *

**AN: I picked a random Korean name for Wraith. No that is not her real name. From what I've read, in Semaru Nick of Time it's mentioned that her name is something like 'Kim Ok Huee' which in Korean is written something like 'gold, eggs, woman' but in Kanji (Korean names can be written in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese) it's something like 'men's nuts' ... basically, it's apparently read to mean men's junk. So like hell she would use her real name to Japanese people. This is what I've read on the animesuki boards, one of HunterSeeker's posts I believe. So, if it's wrong, forgive me. XD Either way, in the story, she's still not using her real name, so whether or not the info in this note is correct or not is moot. =P She IS without disguise though.**

**Also, sorry for the wait again. This was done and sitting there, dunno why I didn't post it sooner.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Twenty-One**

Kaname sat on the couch, several real estate booklets, newspapers, and a laptop strewn about on her lap, the couch, and the coffee table, phone in one hand and pen in another. Sousuke watched her from the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, a soft smile on his face. It had been only three days since he had returned and she was already deep in the house hunt. Every so often she would show him something, but mostly she was making phone calls and setting up appointments without asking his opinion first. That was fine with him, he was mostly concerned with location and the landscape, not the house itself which was really all that was shown in the pictures. He had to make sure their home was in a defensible location after all and he could always fix up the house to suit their needs as long as they had the land.

When they had been talking about it at the very beginning, he had very nearly received the first harisen lashing in a long time when he suggested they call the local police stations to find out what the crime rates were like in the areas they chose, as well as the delinquency ratings in the nearby schools. Shunya had rescued him by stating that those were, in fact, good things to find out when moving and that he himself had made such phone calls. It was a very close call though, and as he stood there watching her he noticed she had the harisen within arm's reach. He shook his head as he mused to himself, wondering if he was getting 'otaku' again or if she was just being hormonal. That musing would stay to himself however, as he had learned _that_ much in his time with Kaname.

"Sousuke, I know you're standing there, make yourself useful and get over here already," she spoke tersely to him. He rushed to obey, nearly tripping over his own feet when he righting himself, forgetting he had crossed his legs at the ankle while standing there. Kaname turned from the booklet in her hand and raised an eyebrow at his clumsiness, "You aren't turning into Tessa, are you?"

"Negative," mentally he cursed himself for reverting to the military terminology, especially when Kaname's hand twitched over the harisen, "I was just lost in thought when you called to me so I stumbled."

She stared at him for several long moments and he broke into a sweat under her scrutiny though he had no real reason to. It was not as though he was hiding anything, and he had spoken the truth, so why did she still make him afraid? She had that effect on him, he supposed, and that would likely never change. Exposure to Kaname did not weaken the effects of her glares and outbursts, if anything it made them more potent. Finally, she made a noise indicating her acceptance of his explanation, and then she turned back to her booklet. "Go get me tea and something to eat. I don't care what so long as it has chocolate in it."

"Aff-ah, yes Kaname, what kind of tea?"

"I don't care, something that will go well with whatever you pick for me to eat," she muttered, barely paying him any mind as she flipped through the pages thoughtfully. Getting the hint, Sousuke left her to her self-enforced task to rummage through the kitchen for something she would want to eat. Going through the cabinets, the fridge, the freezer, he frowned when he came up empty handed. He would be making a trip, of that there were no doubts. It was just a matter of how Kaname would send him off. Given her current temperament, he took a moment to steel himself and prepare his body for the abuse it was about to receive.

He walked back out and stood beside her, "There's nothing with chocolate here. I put on a pot of water for tea. Did you want me to make the tea then go out or take the kettle off the stove and wait until I get back?"

Kaname looked up at him with a glare, tame for her though which looked good for him. She tapped her pen against her cheek and then sighed, "Make me tea then go. I'll take oolong."

"Understood," he took another moment to fortify himself before leaning in to give her a kiss, hoping for a favorable reaction. It wasn't violent, but she did push him away and he tried not to sigh.

"I'm busy, Sousuke, not right now."

Sousuke just nodded in acceptance, "All right, Kaname. Is there anything specific you want while I'm out?"

"I'll think about it," she muttered, clearly intent on finishing what she was doing first. Giving up, Sousuke left to prepare the things for her tea. He was grateful for the water needing several more minutes to boil, else he would have had to go out too soon and interrupt her again. She was certainly _not_ forgiving of interruptions at the moment, even when he was just trying to do his best by her. Finally, it finished, and he set the tea to steep and then went through the cabinets again, trying to find if there was _anything_ he could give her with the tea to hold her until he returned with what she wanted.

Not finding anything that seemed a suitable substitute for chocolate, he brought the prepared tea out to Kaname, pouring a cup and leaving the kettle nearby. He glanced down at the notebook she was scribbling in and was pleased to see it was a shopping list for him. He kept his mouth shut, then, not wanting to stop her when she was doing something to make his job a little easier, especially since she was apt to snap at him and send him off without a clue. If she did that, he would be doomed no matter what he did, since it would be inevitable for him to miss something she wanted or pick out something she was not in the mood for or did not even like. Finished, she tore the paper out of the notebook and shoved it in his face, "Here. Get these and whatever you see that you think I might want."

"All right," being bold, he decided to try for another kiss. She turned into it this time and let him taste her for just a moment before gently pushing him back. She shooed him off, telling him she wanted her snacks so he better hurry. Once more catching the hint, he hurried off, shouting from the door that he would be back soon enough. Kaname shouted off her reply then sat back, letting the cushion of the couch envelop her as much as it would. She closed her eyes and took the moment to clear her mind. Sousuke was doting enough, sure, but she was almost feeling suffocated with how much he hovered over her. She knew it wasn't fair to be thinking that, as it was all she had wanted before, but she found she was on edge and every little thing was bothering her.

Shaking her head to clear it, she smacked her cheeks, "Snap out of it girl," she muttered to herself. She was determined not to become bitchy from her pregnancy hormones, but considering she, admittedly, had a natural tendency towards bitchiness, she seemed to be losing that battle. She _was_ trying though. She had really wanted to smack Sousuke with the harisen when he had slipped into military mode earlier, but she managed to stop herself. That was testament to her efforts, was it not?

Drawing herself up, Kaname reached over to grab the book she was flipping through earlier, starting back up her search. She was trying not to add too many houses to her list, and was crossing a bunch off when she found ones she preferred, but it was still taking an inordinate amount of time to go through everything. If she had known house shopping was so difficult she would have told Sousuke to do it all from the beginning! Now, though, she was involved, and like hell if she would give up in the middle of it. With a big yawn, she stretched, taking care of which muscles she pulled, and then settled back in. She grabbed her tea and sipped gingerly, not wanting to scald her tongue. At least she had managed to teach Sousuke how to brew a proper cup of tea over the past two years.

She considered even the most minor of successes with Sousuke to be the fruits of a laborious war.

Finally at ease once more, she set down her cup and went back to work, and by the time Sousuke had returned they had several more appointments. She was trying to keep those to a minimum, really only making phone calls to see the places that immediately caught her eye and that checked out all right when she looked them up on the internet. She knew how to do her research and cross-referencing, she thought with a self-satisfied grin. Once everything had been put away in the kitchen, Sousuke came back out, "What would you like, Kaname?"

Kaname set aside everything, making it into a neat stack on the coffee table and then stood, stretching her arms over her head thoughtfully. "I don't know, I'll look," she decided. He nodded and stepped aside so she could pass by him. He did not move from his spot at the threshold, instead finding contentment in watching her move around. It took all of his self-restraint to not walk over to her at that moment and wrap her up in his arms like he wanted so desperately to do. He had grown almost reliant on his contact with her, and her frequent rebuttals lately had him feeling frustrated. He knew to accept it as it came, and he figured it would pass, but it was still rough on him as well. Kaname finally came up with something she wanted to eat, and took it to the kitchen table with a happy smile. Sousuke shook his head near imperceptibly when he noticed it was something that had been there the whole time, not something with chocolate after all.

He went back into the living room to retrieve the tea she had left behind, setting the cup in front of her and refilling it from the pot. She thanked him in between bites, bringing the cup to her lips to wash down her snack. Sousuke took a seat near her and rested his head on a hand, watching her eating so enthusiastically. Finally, she finished, and stopped mid-rise when she noticed he was staring at her, "What?"

"You're beautiful," he spoke softly and without thinking, just saying the thing that had been top most in his mind. She blushed at the words as he did not say them often, and laughed nervously. She went to take her plate to the sink but he grabbed it from her, washing it off and putting it away. When he turned around, Kaname was still standing in the same spot, wringing her hands nervously. After what seemed an eternity of staring at each other, she stepped forward and reached out to touch his cheek tenderly, then urged him down to kiss her. They stayed like that for another eternity, wrapped in each other's arms and savoring each other's presences, and tastes. When Kaname drew back Sousuke edged forward with a disappointed groan. Cracking his eyes open he saw her giving him a sultry smirk and she lifted a hand to crook a finger at him, signaling him to follow her.

Follow her he did, his excitement mounting when she brought him past the couch and all of her resource materials, and into the bedroom. Perhaps he should remember to compliment her more often.

* * *

Several days later, many appointments to see various properties later, and Sousuke had lost his speaking privileges when it came to asking questions of the real estate agents. It had started innocently enough, asking about the local crime rates, the noise levels, the traffic in the area, the normal questions that anyone might ask. It started getting out of hand when he started asking what year the houses were made, what materials were used, what zoning regulations they followed, though that was still acceptable. Odd for most people, but still acceptable. No, it was when he started asking questions like if there was a bomb shelter, if there were any traps built in the house to ward against intruders, _if there were any traps placed in the surrounding territory_, and that was when Kaname had lost it.

The real estate agent had looked at Sousuke completely perplexed, wondering just what kind of a person it took to be asking such bizarre questions. Kaname had told him repeatedly to 'shut the hell up,' but he had continued to ask his questions, saying that they were very important things to know. Kaname did _not_ agree. Finally she lost it and whipped out the harisen, bashing it hard on his head. Then she had yelled at him, telling him that his stupidity was causing her stress, and that stress was bad for the baby. That had clammed him up, and instead of asking questions about the house he had immediately began a string of questions regarding her health. That one she decided to put an end to prematurely, striking him so hard he collapsed on the ground. She had placed her foot on his back and stood over him with her arms crossed, and demanded he think about what he had done wrong and to not say a word until he had come to a satisfactory answer.

Five days later and he was still not allowed to speak unless spoken to.

The new real estate agents all looked at him curiously when he did not ask questions, expecting a soon-to-be father to have all kinds of things to ask. When one of them asked Kaname about it, she decided not to press the issue when the girl grinned evilly, baring her teeth in a snarl. That told alone told the agent a great deal more than she had ever wanted to know. At the very least, they were nearly done, and Kaname had a feeling that one of the previous houses would be what they chose. They had already visited the police station and asked for the area's statistics and had come out satisfied. There were not many houses that matched the criteria both of them had set, that much had become painfully obvious from the very beginning.

Sousuke managed not to cause any more trouble for Kaname from then on, and she had promised to ask the _sane_ questions he had wanted answered, so he could stay quiet and not irritate her further. It had been working so far, and Sousuke was content with the simpler questions being answered. It really should have been obvious to him from the start that people would not be setting up traps in their homes in Japan. They did not live in his world, where such things were necessary if one wanted to live for very long. Kaname seemed to enjoy being in charge of everything, though, so he had consented to being quiet and letting her lead them through the process. Just because he was not allowed to speak did not mean he had no say in the final choice, and that was all that really mattered.

Day over, and they were finally done looking at all the houses on their list. Sure enough, they went back to the one from before. They had called, given their offer, the offer was accepted, and they would be signing the papers soon enough. It helped that they were buying the house outright and not having to deal with all the extra paperwork and scheduling of assessment visits and all of the other processes going through a bank added. Lucky for them, the owners of the house had already moved out, so they would be able to move in almost immediately. All in all, they had done well for themselves in the search, and had managed to keep the time down to a minimum. Things were going well.

* * *

"Sousuke, if you were just going to tear the whole place apart, then why didn't we just try to find a piece of land to build on?!" Kaname stood in the room with her hands on her hips, glaring at Sousuke who was tearing down a wall.

"Kaname, please, there is a lot of dust in the air, you should put on a mask," his complete disregard for what she had said threw her over the edge. She picked up the nearest tool and hurled it at him. He ducked the heavy hammer and it sailed over his head to embed itself in the wall behind him. For a long moment he stared at it, thinking just how bad it would have been if he had not dodged. He turned to face Kaname who was seething with rage and giving him the dirtiest look yet. "I'm sorry, Kaname. Ah, to answer your question, first, trying to find land would have been near impossible. Certainly anything we may have found would have been in an inconvenient location. Secondly, it would take far longer to build from scratch than to do what I want like this. If we had to build there would be no possible way for the house to be completed before Shizuko is born. I will be done within the month, if not the week even."

She stared at him, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping a finger impatiently on one arm. The position was somewhat uncomfortable for her as she had grown a considerable amount in the past month, but she felt the need to hold it to drive a point home to him. She was not pleased. Finally, she dropped her arms to rest a supportive hand on her stomach and another to brace against her back. "Sousuke," she began calmly, proud of herself for managing to keep her voice smooth, "just _what_ exactly _is_ it that you are doing?"

"I am fortifying the walls, and in some places I am altering the wiring to be more optimal," he stated calmly. He did not add that he would have thought it to be self explanatory, with the lengths of various wires and sheets of military grade armor lying around.

Kaname sighed, dropping her head into her hands and shaking it with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Why me?" she muttered plaintively, her voice rising an octave or two with her misery. "Sousuke, why can't you ever make anything easy on me?"

Concerned, Sousuke dropped his hammer and dusted himself off before walking over to her, "Kaname? What's wrong?"

"Everything," she whined, "why can't you keep things simple Sousuke? Why do you have to do this?" The tears were flowing down her cheeks now and she wiped at them fiercely, damning herself for her weakness at that moment. She knew it was the hormones kicking in, ordinarily she would just be beating Sousuke over the head with either her harisen or the closest blunt object, but instead she was reduced to tears. He tried to coax her into his arms but she shoved him away. "No, never mind, forget I said anything, do what you have to and just make sure it's still in condition for someone to _live in_ when you're done." She pushed against him once more, her arms completely outstretched and then she turned and left, wiping at her face.

Sousuke was at a loss as to what to do, and he just stood there staring at the door she had left through. He wondered if he should go after her or finished what he was doing. Finally, he decided to check on her, and he went in search of her. She was lying down on their bed, resting on her side and hugging a pillow close, sobbing. He stood over her for a few moments, watching her sadly before stepping closer and resting a hand on her shoulder, "Kaname."

"Go away, I don't want to see you right now," she muttered.

He took in a deep breath, "Kaname, I'm sorry. I did not think it would be a problem as everything will look the same as before when I am finished."

"Well, it _is_ a problem," she was whining again, she knew it. She could not bring herself to care at that moment. "Sousuke, I just to have a _normal_ house, and a _normal_ life, why is that so much to ask for?"

"Kaname…," he hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Kaname. Just because Amalgam is gone does not mean that the danger is over. You will _always_ be in danger, and I do not want anything to ever happen to you. That is why I am doing this," he spoke calmly and objectively as always, but his eyes were pleading with her to understand.

She sat up and looked at him sadly, then looked down at her hands, "I know. I just wish I could live in ignorance of all of this. Things were so much easier back then," she sighed.

Sousuke knelt on the ground beside her and reached out to hold her hands, "I know, Kaname. I'm sorry. I wish you could live the life you wanted, I-I'm trying to give you the closest to a normal life, and still have you be safe."

Kaname nodded sadly, then turned to swing her feet off the bed. Sousuke helped her up, wishing he could draw her close for a hug but with all of the dust from the wall on him he did not dare. "I'll make lunch," she whispered, pulling away from him and walking to the kitchen. He followed her out, watching her for just a few moments before returning to his task. He was determined to finish quickly so he could return things to normal as soon as possible for her. It was not going to be fun when he had to do their bedroom, he thought ruefully.

* * *

Sousuke wiped the sweat off his brow and then put away his tools. He was _finally_ done with the entire house. Since Kaname was spending the day with her sister, he had saved their bedroom for that day. Now all he needed to do was clean up the floor and air out the room. As he reached for the broom he heard a knock at the door. He stepped out of the bedroom and went to the front of the house, checking to see who it was before opening to the door to find Kyouko standing there.

"Tokiwa, how are you?"

"Good, good, Sagara-kun! Is Kana-chan home?" she asked, her hands clasped behind her back and twisting her body back and forth excitedly. Sousuke shook his head and she clapped her hands together with a big smile, "Good! There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

Sousuke raised a brow curiously and turned aside to let her enter, "What is it?"

"I wanted to hold a baby shower for Kana-chan. I mean, she thinks I'm the only one that will accept her, but that's not true at all. I talked about it with the others and they all agree. Kana-chan shouldn't have to think she lost us as friends, and we all want to do something for her. Don't you think she would like that?" she turned up to face Sousuke expectantly.

He tilted his head to the side and considered it. Finally, he nodded, "Well, I don't really understand what a baby shower is, but if it's something that normally happens, then-."

"A baby shower is a party held for an expectant mother. There's games, and food, and presents for the baby and mother. They're normally just for girls, but we figured that inviting the boys wouldn't be so bad. This way she can see them and know that they're all rooting for her too," Kyouko smiled up at him. "As long as you think that's okay, anyways."

Sousuke nodded slowly, thinking, "Yes. I think that would be fine. Kaname would be happy to know they're still friends."

"Great! I think it would be better if you boys came later though, so we can do our girly thing," she giggled. "And this way you can spend some time with the guys before coming over. What do you think?"

"If that's the way it usually is done…," he trailed off. "I don't see why that would be a problem."

Kyouko nodded excitedly, "Awesome! Okay, I'll give you a call when we figure things out. My mom already gave me permission to have it at my house, and it will probably be in about a month, if that sounds all right. Are there any days you know of that would be bad?"

Sousuke walked to the wall where a half-white- half-cork-board was hung. On the whiteboard side Kaname had written her down her appointments with the midwife. Peggy had told her that her pregnancy so far was looking to be low-risk and that if she wanted to do a natural birth then she could safely go with a midwife. The kindly woman had come out and helped her find a good one as well, knowing all the proper questions to ask, and for that they were grateful. The one they had gone with was set up in a hospital so they had all of the equipment there as well and if any complications developed then she would not have to search for an obstetrician since one from the hospital would work with the midwife in that event. "Her next appointment is in two weeks, and then there's one four weeks after that."

Kyouko pulled a small notebook from her purse and walked over to the board, writing down the dates. "All right then, so if we plan for four weeks from now then it will be all right?"

"Yes, it should be fine."

"And you, Sagara-kun? You won't be working will you?"

Sousuke shook his head, "No. I don't start my new job for another year."

Kyouko looked at him, shocked, "A _year_, Sagara-kun? That's such a long time!"

"Yes. They need to set-up and reorganize everything to accommodate the program I will be teaching for them, since it is completely new. For that, they need time. As for my old job, well, technically I am still working for them and will continue to do so in my new position. They have me signed off of active duty and the only instance in which I would leave here is if there is a dire situation. There should not be any reason for them to need me in the foreseeable future," that was certainly true.

The only thing that would cause them to need him would be if they were to come across multiple units with the lambda driver. With Amalgam gone, there was likely not to be any such machines anywhere but Mithril for a very long time, if ever anywhere else again. Even in the rare event that they _did_ come across more units with the lambda driver, with the Fairy Eye they would be able to take care of such units on their own if they were in the same class as the Venoms.

Everyone involved knew all of this. This was a way to essentially give him time off to be with his wife and child while allowing him to maintain his position in Mithril. It was special treatment, he was not the only one with family, but because of his official position as Kaname's bodyguard and because he was the only one that could pilot the Laevatein, they were able to get away with it. It also helped that only those in command or closest to him knew exactly what was going on so there would be no jealousies or grudges.

Kyouko nodded, knowing better than to ask any clarifying questions. She would get no answers. In some ways, she preferred to be left in the dark about the specifics. She was happy that she had been trusted enough to be given some information, but what little she did know painted a scary picture and she would rather not know the darkness outside of her peaceful world. They had told her that the biggest threat to Kaname, and also to Sousuke, had been taken care of, and that was the most she really _wanted_ to know.

"All right, well, then, I'll be in contact with you. I'll talk with Ayame about inviting any of their family, and if you know anyone from your work that might want to be there let me know. Ayame will be in charge of letting Kana-chan know that it's happening so don't mention anything yet, okay? See you," she smiled and waved to Sousuke who had walked her back to the front.

"All right, take care Tokiwa," he said, closing the door behind her and returning to his task. He still had a room to clean up before Kaname got back.

* * *

**AN: *cough* Ok, I know I've done my damnedest to be completely accurate with most things up to this point with research, but I'm sure this chapter is full of inaccuracies and I apologize for that. As for the beginning with buying a house, I have not gone through that process before and I'm not sure if it's any different in Japan compared to the States, so I really just used what I vaguely remember from when my parents were buying a house 10 years ago and what seemed to make sense to me. Also, Sousuke's reinforcing the walls, I honestly would not know how to go about doing that... I am assuming there would be some difficulties with the electrical and insulation and blahblahblah, so don't take it too literally... It was just a 'ridiculous Sousuke' moment.**

**I'm hoping it won't be too long before I get the next chapter out. I'm estimating about 2 more chapters and an epilogue, then sometime after that I will begin working on a (much more light-hearted) sequel.  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: I'm sorry for the length of time it took me in getting this done. I love you guys. Really. O.O**

**And a quick note that there's some 'adult themes' in this one. Nothing explicit by any stretch of the imagination. Just. You know.  
**

* * *

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Twenty-Two**

"Aw, Sousuke, look isn't this just the cutest?" Kaname shoved an extra soft Bonta-kun plush toy in his face, the toy deviating from the usual coloring to be pink with purple spots and bow-tie along with a pale yellow hat. Sousuke drew to a halt to avoid running into her, and awkwardly reached his arms up to take hold of the toy. His ears were starting to ring from the sheer number of times Kaname had squealed something about some object or another being adorable since they had started this shopping trip.

Noticing she was staring up at him expectantly, Sousuke nodded slowly, "Ah, yes, cute," he had to avoid frowning. That was not a word he was accustomed to using, and he was not sure he ever would get used to it. Kaname was certainly expecting him to, constantly putting him in situations where he had to say it or risk her wrath – and she had _that_ in spades these days.

Once Sousuke had finished fortifying their home to his satisfaction, they had begun decorating the house. They did not have too much to work with at that point however as Kaname had decided she did not feel like reusing most of the decorations from her apartment. First thing Kaname wanted to shop for however were things for the baby, not for the house. They had taken her old bed, couch, and television back from her father but Kaname was adamant those were only temporary.

Sousuke did not really understand her desire to replace things that were fully functional, but she said it was all about the atmosphere and aesthetics. The items were things that she'd had for years, and now that she was an adult and starting her own family, she wanted things of her own. Even Shunya had said she was being silly, since a child would jump on and spill things on their furniture, so why get something new? What Kaname wanted, though, Kaname got, as Sousuke found that he was completely wrapped around her little finger. Especially when she gave him a sad look with eyes threatening to spill tears, or when she pressed close to him and blew in his ear… Yes, she knew exactly how to get whatever she wanted from him.

If it was anyone else, Sousuke would likely be concerned by how easily manipulated he was. With Kaname, however, he knew he could trust her not to make him do anything crazy, and, really, when it came right down to the truly serious things Sousuke _would_ put his foot down and not be budged. When it came to the matter of personal safety he absolutely would not be swayed and everything else Kaname could have her way with. That was how he felt, and, really, it was how their relationship had always been from the absolute beginning. Since the day they had met he put her safety first and let her win every other battle.

As they walked around the store, Kaname continuously picked things up and showed them to Sousuke, and he was beginning to think they were going to need to grab another cart. At least for this trip they had taken a car, if they hadn't there would be no way they could carry around all of the things Kaname was picking out. Luckily, it was a big car too, an SUV to be specific, not really a 'car' at all. Kaname had wanted something cute, Sousuke had wanted something practical, and that was what they had settled on. Not that they couldn't have bought more than one car, but since Sousuke was currently the only one that held a license it did not make much sense. When it came closer to the time that Sousuke would begin working, then, perhaps, Kaname would get her license and they would buy another car, as he would not be taking public transportation to his job. While Kaname _could_ take the trains most places, it would be more convenient to have a vehicle when visiting her family, or if she had to take Shizuko anywhere more complicated than the grocery store.

"Kaname, there are other stores too," Sousuke spoke up as Kaname added another toy to the cart, "Also, what about that registry that Ayame and Tokiwa mentioned?" She looked up at him, first glaring at him menacingly, and then she glanced back down at the cart and grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I am putting a lot in this, huh? But it's all so cute, Sousuke, I don't want to have to decide! And I want it _now_," she pouted at him, giving him pause.

Staring at her for a few moments, he eventually just shook his head and sighed, "It's all right. I just don't know where you're planning on putting everything."

"Oh don't worry about that, I'm sure we can figure something out. You could always build shelves that I could put these on as decoration or something," she smiled sweetly up at him. Sousuke got the distinct impression that he would be doing a lot more building in the upcoming days. That was all right though as he actually enjoyed the work and it kept him busy. He was definitely not used to having idle days, so having something to do and accomplish would keep him satisfied. Not to mention if he was working on something he was usually able to escape the worst of Kaname's moods.

Sousuke managed to keep her from repeating the situation in the rest of the stores they visited, convincing her to do what Ayame and Kyouko had asked her to do, which was to make a gift registry so that people would know what to get, and to avoid repeats of the gifts. There had been much pouting from Kaname however, and she had still bought many of the things she saw regardless, to the point that the back of their vehicle was completely full by the day's end. Not a single thing for the rest of the house either, he noted with a quiet sigh as he closed it up after grabbing the last bags to bring inside the house. She had only been interested in stores and objects related to the baby that day, which meant they would have to go out shopping again.

Taking pause, Sousuke looked out over the tree line and the houses to where the sun was setting behind them, lifting his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow and he smiled softly. It was all right though. There was something calming about walking around with his _wife_, shopping for things for a _child_ of his own, for a _house_ of his own, for his _family_, all things he never would have thought he would know. Kaname poked her head out the front door and looked out at him, calling him back inside so he could help put things away. He turned to face her, taking in the image of her standing there with one hand resting on her belly as though to protect the little one growing inside and the setting sun shining bright colors on her form. He held the bags at his side, just staring at her with a soft smile on his face.

Kaname's expression turned into a glare from him making her stand there without saying a word, but as she lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of the sun she caught his expression and shook her head with a small sigh, smiling at him and turning inside. "Come on Sousuke, hurry up, you can look at me all you want when I'm sitting in a chair and being comfortable!"

Taking the hint, Sousuke rushed inside, removing his shoes before carrying the items he had left at the foyer into the room they would be turning into a nursery. He then went and found a chair to take into the room, setting it against a wall where Kaname would have a good look at the entire space. Kaname wrapped her arms around him after he had placed the chair, snuggling up close to him happily. "Thanks for being so patient with me today," she whispered into his chest. Once more grateful for his sharp hearing, he just smiled and placed one hand on the small of her back and the other on the top of her head to stroke her hair gently.

Ordinarily, she wouldn't have bothered saying anything, just shown him some extra affection, but she had grown more vocal about her thoughts and feelings since becoming pregnant he had noticed. Knowing what was going on in her mind was helpful, and he found he was making fewer mistakes lately. He just hoped that would continue after she had given birth. He had been told no few times that trying to understand women was beyond any man's capability, and that Kaname was even more difficult than most. She was prone enough to mood swings _without_ the help of hormones! At least he was being clued in on what made her happy or upset these days, but it was probably too much to expect it to last.

_Oh well_, he was just going to enjoy the happy days they had. With their lives being the way they were, it was never good to assume they would be around forever. He would take what he had while he had it and enjoy it to the fullest. That was something he had learned during his time with Kaname, and was probably one of the most important lessons he had learned in his life. Everything before her seemed so empty and meaningless when he looked back at it. All he had done was survive, he had never _lived_. He just hoped the happy days would last for a very, very long time, and that he could put a stop to anything that tried to end them.

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Ayame shouted excitedly, tugging on Kaname's arm as they approached Kyouko's home. Laughing at her younger sister's antics, Kaname allowed herself to be pulled along by the girl as they went up the steps and knocked on the door. That morning the sisters had met up at the train station nearest Kyouko's house and had gotten breakfast together then walked around looking at shops as they waited for the call that everything was set up and ready for them to get there. Kaname _had_ been happy when she learned what her best friend and sister had planned, though she could not help but have some doubts about the whole thing.

Those doubts seemed so silly though, when Kyouko's mother opened the door and congratulated her, then led her into the family room where so many of her friends from Jindai as well as some of her relatives from her mother's side were sitting there happily. It was a shock to see people from the Komura side there – it seemed that Shujiro's influence had finally affected the way they saw her. It was overwhelming to see so many people there wishing her the best especially when she had thought that at most it would be Maya, Shiori and maybe Ren. Most of the girls from year three group four were there though, as well as the entire girl's softball team and the members of the student council that had replaced her and Hayashimizu. It was quite crowded, and felt even more so when she began to cry and they all got up to surround her and check on her.

Wiping the tears from her eyes and sobbing, Kaname nodded many times before she finally found her voice again, "Thank you, everyone. Thank you."

Kyouko smiled and gently urged Kaname to chair front and center of the room, helping her get comfortable while everyone found their seats or a place to stand and watch, everyone buzzing with excitement. Many of the classmates walked up to her, gave her a hug and some kind words then left, especially since most didn't know her that well, they had just wanted to show their support for someone that had helped them in the past, and to show that everything was forgiven and forgotten. They also had other things to attend to, such as searching for work or returning to their jobs, or getting to work on college homework and projects. The fact that they had taken time out of their busy schedules to just show up was more than enough for Kaname though. She never thought that her classmates might be sympathetic and able to move past what had happened before.

It probably helped that they did not have much of an idea of what happened, and it was easy enough to get them to believe that it had been an episode from some kind of health problem or another. Whatever the reason, though, Kaname did not care. She had not believed that _anything_ would get them to move past what had happened. It was nice to see she was wrong. While she likely wouldn't ever see them again, hearing what they had to say was all she needed to know all was well. Now it was just the classmates Kaname was closest to and her family members.

* * *

Sousuke sighed as Kurz and Mao each grabbed an arm and dragged him down the streets reluctantly. When Sousuke had made the mistake of telling them about the shower that Kyouko and Ayame had planned for Kaname, his friends had decided they needed to bring him out and make him 'live a little.' Not knowing what they had in store for him made him tense, unsure of just what kind of deprave things they might intend to pull him into. He also did not know whether to be relieved or _more_ worried about what might happen when they met up with his few friends from Jindai.

Mao grinned and wrapped herself around Sousuke's arm, making him choke on air as she nestled his arm between her breasts and jabbed a finger at his cheek with a leer. "We're going to bring you someplace I doubt you would ever go to on your own."

It was far more disturbing when Kurz mimicked Mao's suggestive behavior, poking him right where the two lines of his scar met and blowing into his ear with a laugh. Sousuke very quickly freed himself from their grip and ran several meters ahead of them before stopping and turning to look at them incredulously, face red. Both doubled over with laughter, the expression on his face priceless, before they composed themselves and marched up to him, Kurz tossing an arm across his shoulders while Mao hooked hers around his waist. Kurz then picked up the conversation where Mao had left off, a huge smirk on his face "You'll probably never get another chance to, either, and it's something you have _got_ to do!"

"That's right Sousuke, and I think when we come out of there you should have some things that would make Kaname a very happy lady," Mao grinned wickedly.

Nodding his head seriously, Kurz gave him a grave expression, "That's right. Keeping her entertained is extremely important."

If it was anyone else, Sousuke would have relaxed at the words. Coming from his squad mates however, it was all the more disturbing. Reluctantly, he spoke up, "And just _where_ exactly are we going?"

"It would be no fun if we let you in on it, you'll just have to be surprised," Mao grinned and rubbed her cheek on his arm, making him twitch. The two had another laugh at Sousuke's expense before Kurz suddenly yanked a door open and Mao shoved him into the store with an excited "No running away sergeant, that's an order!"

* * *

Kaname found herself laughing more in just the few short hours she had been there than she had the past several months. As they had settled in, her friends and family had started excitedly asking questions about the baby, Sousuke, their home, their plans for the future, keeping to the lighthearted sides of the topics and sharing little pieces of advice they had learned or heard of. The laughs started coming in when the aunts would share tales of what Shizu had been like as a child, a very welcome treat for Kaname and Ayame, who had never gotten the chance to learn much about their mother.

They had remembered their mother as being very strong-willed, especially when faced her illness, but they had never realized just how obstinate she had been. At one point Ayame had laughed and quipped that Kaname had gotten the stubbornness of both of their parents combined, earning her a mock glare and a mostly empty cup of water poured over her head. All that had done was further prove her point, though Kaname looked rather pleased with herself regardless.

The stories of their mother made the two girls wish they had been able to spend more time with her and that their relationship with the Komura side had been better when they were younger. Shizu and Shunya were very contemporary, yes, but Shizu had been raised in a traditional home, and they would have liked to have experienced such things more closely. Living in America for so long, Ayame was even more separated from it than Kaname, and found the stories of antics at festivals and working as a shrine maiden to be particularly fascinating. At least Kaname had been able to experience those things, even if it was from a less traditional stand-point.

Ayame and Kyouko both kept their eye on Kaname as the day went on, noticing a huge improvement in her temperament. While she had been markedly improving it was nothing compared to the huge relief of stress they noticed when she had been assured that everything was well between her and her classmates. The chance to just relax and talk to some friends, getting out of the house and being with other people, all of it was something that Kaname desperately needed. She was a sociable girl, energetic and hard-working as well, being all but locked away from society was not good for her. The two girls watching over her vowed to themselves to get her out more often and to make sure she was getting enough human interaction outside of the home.

* * *

Sousuke decided it might be a good time to disobey an order. He turned to leave but Mao blocked the entrance with a menacing grin and a glimpse of a pistol at the ready. He knew better than to think Mao was above causing injury to even her friends. With a resigned sigh and a gulp to steel his nerves, Sousuke turned right back around to look over the sex shop nervously. He stood frozen in place, wondering just what in the hell he had gotten into this time. While over the course of the past year or so his knowledge in such matters had been drastically increased, he had no idea and no confidence with these kinds of things.

Once again taking up their spots at either side, Mao and Kurz dragged him further in, pulling him first over to some videos for some laughs. Sousuke looked around nervously, fidgeting in place. Looking up at him, Kurz smirked "What's the matter, afraid someone will see you or something?"

Sousuke stopped shuffling and glanced at his friend, shaking his head "That's not it. I'm just not… comfortable."

Mao chuckled, "Well, if we do our job right you'll be uncomfortable for a different reason by the time we walk out of here," she winked at him, and he started fidgeting again as he caught the meaning. The last thing he wanted was to get aroused in a public place. Switching back to the reason he was uncomfortable at that moment, Mao picked out a movie and held it up to him with a laugh, reading the title, "'Full Metal Jackoff?'"

Sousuke shook his head again, wincing and taking a step back. Kurz tugged another out, "How about 'Breast Side Story?'"

"Oh, I know, 'Forrest Gimp!'" Mao cackled, shoving the case at Sousuke, who was still slowly retreating. Taking pity on him, the two took charge of their friend and led him to the more 'fun' part of the store. At first, they continued to tease him, fighting to get a rise out of him. Mao held up an obscenely large dildo, grinning wickedly at Sousuke as she showed it to him with a slow and sultry wink, holding it in just the right place so that he had to stare at her chest to register what she had in her hands. He quickly averted his gaze, only to have Kurz twisting a pig-tail shaped butt plug right in his adjusted line of sight.

The two found themselves laughing at him once more as he turned his back to the wall, beet red and with sweat pouring down his body. It was made all the funnier when he yelped in surprise and chose to face the wall again after getting a look at a disturbing display of strap-ons. Kurz had to grab at his ribs, laughing too hard and clapping Sousuke on the back, leaning into him for support as tears streamed down his face from laughter. Mao was in similar straits, her back slamming against the display behind her and sending a cascade of dildos, vibrators, cock rings crashing down upon her. That only caused her and Kurz to laugh harder while Sousuke let out a long suffering sigh and bent down to begin picking up the items as an employee came over to check on them.

Finally calming down enough to breathe, the two wiped at tears and gasped for air, chuckling intermittently as they helped Sousuke clean up the mess. Mao grinned as they sifted through the items, thrusting a bright blue rabbit vibrator at Sousuke with a wink, "I think you should get this one for Kaname." Sousuke sighed and shook his head, turning his attention back to the mess. This time, however, she was persistent, shoving it at him again, "I'm serious Sousuke. Sex is well and good and all, but if you don't introduce new things it won't be as fun in the long run."

Swallowing past his nervousness, Sousuke tentatively reached out and flipped the package around in his hands, looking it over. "I don't really understand," he muttered, frowning at the object. Mao sidled up to him and whispered in his ear. Kurz leaned forward curiously as Sousuke dropped the vibrator with an even darker shade of red staining his cheeks and a faraway look in his eyes. Winking, she flashed a V sign to him as Sousuke seemed to be in a distant land of his own after whatever it was she had said. They finished picking up after themselves, leaving only Sousuke and that one vibrator on the floor as they moved on to look at other things.

* * *

As the day wore on and turned to night a few guys began to show up at Kyouko's house. Tsubaki had finally admitted defeat, and showed up to wish Kaname the best and decided to stick around to wish the same to Sousuke when he showed up. They began to wonder just when that might be though when Shinji and Onodera showed up alone. "Hmm, where's Sokkun?" Ayame asked them, glancing around and trying to see the door behind them.

They shrugged, looking at each other with confusion before turning back to the girls. "Don't know, Sagara-kun was supposed to show up a few hours ago with Kurz-kun and Mao, but they never did. When we called Sagara-kun's phone Mao picked up and said they'd be running late."

Kaname sighed, "I wonder what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into."

Kyouko laughed nervously and smiled, "I'm sure everything's fine. They're probably just having so much fun they lost track of time."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kaname muttered in reply, afraid of just what Kurz and Mao could be getting up to with Sousuke. She did not have long to wonder though as the trio came in, Sousuke walking stiffly in his assigned spot between them while they both wore 'cat who caught the canary' grins. Sighing, Kaname dropped her head into her hands before slowly bringing gaze up to them wearily, "Do I want to know?

Mao left Sousuke's side to wrap her arms around Kaname and kiss her on the cheek, whispering into her ear with a sultry expression. Kurz let out a cat-call while Sousuke grumbled something about accosting his wife. Not particularly used to Mao, even after the hot springs, the rest stared at the two girls in shock. Kaname flushed bright red and did her best fish-out-of-water impression as Mao smirked and pulled back with an exaggerated wink. Finally, Kaname shook herself out of it and glanced timidly at Sousuke. He took in a deep breath, eyes widening with shock and his own cheeks turning pink before they both looked away awkwardly.

Kyouko let out another anxious laugh and flapped her hands around frantically, "Well, ok, ah, so! Why don't we tell you boys about our day…," she giggled, looking about and hoping the change in conversation would put an end to the disapproving glares of Kaname's aunts and release the tension in the air.

* * *

Kaname yawned tiredly, eyes closing as they drove home, Sousuke having taken the car so they could bring home the presents Kaname got with ease. Kurz and Mao were staying at the safe house Sousuke used to live in, not wanting to intrude on Sousuke and Kaname's privacy. Sparing a glance towards Kaname, he smiled softly as the soft sound of her deep breathing drifted lazily into hearing range, indicating she was asleep. As embarrassing as the day had been for him, it had still been enjoyable. He had missed his friends, and Kaname had been missing hers for much longer. It was obvious to him that the day had done her much good, all the tension she had been living with seemed to have melted away.

He would have to remember to thank Kyouko for her care.

When they pulled up to their house, Sousuke got out of the car and went to open the passenger door, gently shaking Kaname awake. She woke up slowly, blinking sleepy eyes at him for a few moments as she tried to register what was going on. When she did, she smiled warmly at him, eyes shimmering in the moonlight as he gently helped her out of the car and into the house, putting her to bed before retrieving the items from the vehicle and locking up. Once he had put the items in their appropriate places he went to lie down with her, smiling at her peacefully sleeping form.

Gingerly, he reached up a hand to brush the hair out of her face, leaning down to kiss her gently on the cheek. She moaned slightly and he whispered an apology as her eyes cracked open. Her arms lifted to slip around his neck, drawing him down for long and languid kiss. After what seemed ages they pulled apart, both sighing happily and smiling at each other. Sousuke tilted his head down to touch his forehead to hers, staring intensely into her eyes before she giggled and lifted her face up for another kiss, this one holding delicious promises of a night with no sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Twenty-Three**

Sousuke sat leaned back in a chair beside the hospital bed his wife lay in, holding her hand as he tried to take the quiet moment to get some sleep. It was a month before the due date but it looked like it would be any day now that their child would be born. Dropping had started nearly a week prior, she was partially dilated and effaced, not to mention the increased and slightly painful preparatory contractions her body had thrown her way. All of this caused Kaname to decide to take the advice of her midwife and stay there until after Shizuko was born. Tests that had been run indicated that it would be safe for her, lungs fully formed she should not have any trouble breathing.

Threading her fingers through his, Kaname turned her head to look up at Sousuke, a soft smile on her face. For all that the situation was not ideal, she still found herself elated regardless. Their child would be born soon… She was not particularly looking forward to the pains of child labor, but she was excited to meet her daughter. They had bought a name plate to add next to their names on the front of their house just a week prior, and it had made everything feel even more real. Squeezing his hand, she nodded slightly when his eyes cracked open to look at her.

With a tender expression, he turned in his chair to stroke her face, pushing back her bangs and tucked a few stray strands behind her ears where they belonged. Leaning over, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered to her, "How do you feel?"

"No change really," she tilted her head and looked at him expectantly, smiling when his lips found hers. After pulling away he nodded to her, sitting back in his chair again and stroking her hair. He drifted off to sleep like that, lightly dozing in the seat with his fingers tangled in her hair. A few hours later he was woken up by pressure on his leg, and he looked down to see Kaname wincing and panting in pain. "I think it's starting," she muttered, looking up at him through her thick lashes and biting her lip to hold back a whimper.

"I'll go get someone," he went to rise when she yanked him back down, hand fisted in his shirt, and she shook her head.

"Not yet, stay with me for a bit."

"But…"

"No," she muttered, taking in a few deep breaths as the pain went away. "It will still be awhile yet, it can wait."

He frowned down at her, nodding though reluctant. With a soft sigh, he bent over and kissed her temple, "If you insist," he whispered in her ear.

"I do," she grinned up at him, reaching an arm up to wipe away the sweat on her brow. "Can you get me some ice water?"

"Only if I am allowed to leave," he smiled down at her, rising from his spot as he spoke. The glare she gave him for his comment made him happy he had chosen to act before she responded, and he went over to a bag they had brought to dig out an empty water bottle and a small towel. "I will be right back," he nodded to her and slipped out of the small private room to go to the hospital's cafeteria.

Sousuke was sure to hurry, though he did alert one of the maternity nurses to his wife's situation on his way back in. A while yet or not, he wanted to be sure that someone was there when needed. Opening the door, he looked on the bed to see an angry Kaname glaring at him, and he blinked at her expression, tentatively walking over to her, "Kaname?"

"Don't get smart with me," she growled, reaching out her hand for the bottle and snatching it from him once it was in reach. He nodded apologetically, settling back into his chair and taking the towel he had soaked, wiping gently at her brow, cheeks, and neck. Sighing happily, she looked up at him and settled the bottle into her lap, eyes fluttering closed and a small moan passing her lips, "That feels heavenly."

"I'm glad," he pulled away slightly, cocking his head to the side. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Glancing over at him, she chewed on her lip thoughtfully and nodded, "Could you give me a massage?"

"Certainly," he set the towel and bottle aside, helping her into a sitting position before getting to work. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and resting her hand on her stomach as another contraction hit her. He rested a hand on her shoulder to steady her, looking at her with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right to you?" she muttered in a strained voice. He reached for the damp towel again swiping it gently along the back of her neck. After a few moments it passed, and she leaned against him tiredly, "Sorry."

He smiled and wrapped his arms gently around her, "It's all right." Burrowing his face into her hair, he took in a deep breath, stroking her hair for several moments before she growled at him again, ordering him to get to that massage he promised. Hastily obeying the order, he slipped his hands into the loosely opened back of the hospital gown, running his thumbs along her back in a way that had her nearly purring in his hands.

They got up and walked around for a bit after her midwife came in to sit with her, the three of them wandering up to the roof for some fresh air. When the contractions got too close together they returned to the room and got everything together to prepare for the birth. Offering an epidural last minute, though she had already said she refused, Kaname shook her head to Sousuke's chagrin. "Kaname… you're already in this much pain, are you sure?"

Glaring up at him, she gave him a scathing retort, "You'll be the one in pain if you try to decide what's good for me, got it soldier?!"

"U-Understood," he frowned as he snapped into a salute, a sign that his nerves were getting to him. It had been a long time since he had gone into military mode in a civilian situation. It did not seem to bother her however; actually it looked to have the opposite of the usual effect. She nodded in satisfaction, reaching out for the hand glued to his thigh, squeezing it tightly and pushing her head back into the pillows as another wave of pain crashed over her.

For Sousuke, the next few hours were the most stressful in his life. It was worse than trench warfare! Kaname's infamous temper reached new heights, and it seemed that the only next logical step would be that she would shout at him for daring to _breathe_. For Kaname it was not much different, though it went smoothly at the very least. When she realized it was going to be an early birth, she did not have high hopes for it going well. The pain was intense, but not unbearable. Sousuke's calming voice, his cool hands on her face and shoulders as he eased her best he knew how, helped her fight past the pain, easing her labor. She knew she was being unkind to him, but her patience was never the best and pain always made her short. She would apologize later.

Maybe.

When all was said and done, Kaname lay back in the bed with sweat pouring off of her, panting for air. With heavy-lidded eyes, she watched as her daughter was handed off to a completely dumb-stricken Sousuke. She could hardly hear over the rushing blood in her ears, though she had made out the distinctive high-pitch squall of an infant through her haze, a tired smile gracing her stressed features.

Swallowing thickly, Sousuke looked down at the baby in his arms, blinking rapidly in complete disbelief. Nothing had prepared him for the moment he held his child who calmed in his hold to look up at him with wide pale… purple? eyes. He had a moment of confusion before recalling something he had read, realizing that given the color she would likely in a few weeks share his steely gaze.

She reached up a tiny hand, and he unconsciously shifted her closer to his face, a shock running through his body he felt a surprisingly strong slap on his cheek. The little girl left her hand there, fingers digging into his cheek as she giggled up at him. For the first time that he could recall he felt tears run down his cheeks, and he bit his lip, staring down at Shizuko in absolute wonder. How could this little infant have such a profound impact on him so immediately? It had him completely stumped. He liked to be in control of his emotions, and he thought that his control was endangered enough by being around Kaname.

He had already lost the battle to this little one.

Shizuko gurgled happily at him as though she knew, and he nodded in recognition of her victory and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head. The midwife smiled at him, gently reminding him that she needed to be bathed. Snapped out of his trance, he followed her instructions, wrapping his daughter in a blanket and bringing her over to Kaname, who was watching him intently through her exhaustion. Carefully, he slipped Shizuko into the crook of his wife's arm, softly stroking the sleepy infant's cheek and then Kaname's.

He was completely powerless against the renewed flow of tears as he watched mother and daughter sleep together on that bed. It was not a moment he was likely ever to forget, and should he ever get called out to battle again he knew it was this memory he would think back to as his reminder of why he had to fight and live.

* * *

Arm wrapped around Kaname's waist, Shizuko secured in her arms, Sousuke looked at the front of his family's house, staring at the nameplate.

SAGARA

SOUSUKE  
KANAME  
SHIZUKO

A sense of warmth and belonging flooded over him, rudely interrupted by a sharp pain in his ribs. Looking down to see Kaname shooting him an irritate glare, elbow firmly buried under his ribs, he nodded, slipping his hand to rest on the small of her back as they walked to enter the house. As he unlocked the door, he spared another glance to the nameplate, blinking. He really did wonder what Kaname might think about adding another name there. As he turned to let her in, seeing the tender expression on her face as she cooed at their daughter, twitching a finger in front of Shizuko's face, he smiled.

She just might not mind at all.

* * *

Kalinin sat at his desk, leaning back and sipping a cup of coffee. He glanced down at a curious set of papers in front of him, and wondered exactly what it was he should do with them. He knew what it was he wanted, but would it be right to do it just then? Sagara was busy with his wife and child as well as his relatively new job, and it might be better to wait to give him this news. Still, though, perhaps he would prefer to hear sooner, rather than later, and he could choose when to act, if at all, on his own.

He held the cup just under his face, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the strong brew. He thought back to a conversation he had at a Christmas just a couple years back, when Sagara had sat at his kitchen table in his quarters on base. The young man often visited him in the morning when living on Merida, before Kaname would wake up, and would drink a cup of coffee with him and discuss the news or some such. That particular morning Sagara had told him something he was not expecting to hear.

* * *

Sagara sat at the table, a content smile on his face. The relaxed expression was becoming far more common for the young soldier, and Kalinin was unsure of how he felt about it. Sagara had been so stoic for so long, the change was somewhat odd. Not odd, really, when he thought about it, but unexpected. Sagara as a baby had been just as full of sense as he was now, but he had been more human back then. He had thought that the life Sagara had been forced into when he failed to find any of his relatives had changed him forever. Ever since he had been exposed to Chidori, however, he seemed to be growing in ways he was never allowed before.

"Kalinin, there's something I'd like to share with you," he still had that smile as he raised the cup to his lips and took a long sip. Kalinin had bowed his head, indicating him to go on. Sagara set the cup down and closed his eyes, an expression of tranquility looking so alien on his face. "Kaname is expecting. I'm going to be a father."

His usually unshakable persona had been shaken. He nearly dropped his own cup, spilling the hot liquid on his pants and he had to bite back a curse at the burns. Sagara had been concerned, asked if everything was all right, and settled back down immediately when he was assured it was fine. It was unusual to see Kalinin react to something with anything but calm and cool calculation, but of the people that knew him at all these days, Sagara was the only one who had seen his more startled reactions.

He remembered the first time that boy had pointed a gun at him. When Sagara was just four years old, Kalinin had made a promise to protect the child. Then that child, who he thought would be given a good life either returned to his family in Japan or adopted into a loving home, appeared again before him, standing in the shadow of an Arm Slave and firing on him. Now that child was having a child.

More composed, he took a sip of his coffee then lowered the cup thoughtfully.

"Congratulations, Sagara."

"Thank you, sir," for Sagara the expression could only be described as beaming. To anyone that did not know him, they would think that Kalinin's approval had meant nothing. That was not true, however. Kalinin's opinion meant a lot to Sagara.

"If I might ask, what do you intend to do? Chidori does not strike me as the kind of girl who would be willing to raise a child here."

Sagara had sighed and nodded, a far more serious expression graced his features now, "This is very true, sir. I made her a promise, but I'm still trying to figure out how I may honor it."

Kalinin thought about that. Knowing Sagara as he did, he had a feeling he knew what kind of a promise it was. He was in a precarious situation now, he felt. The warmness he had felt for "Sousuke-kun," the young boy that called him "An-ojisan," warred with the feelings of his predicament.

"I promised her that I would make it safe for her and the child. That means I need to eliminate the threat of Amalgam. I know I can't get rid of every organization that would be after her abilities, but Amalgam is by and far the most dangerous. I can handle anyone else that comes after her," he growled low in his throat, as if daring those people to. "But Amalgam has far superior technology and intelligence."

Kalinin closed his eyes and sipped at his coffee again, thinking hard about everything. He had been in secret communication with Amalgam for a year, having met with Leonard Testarossa last Christmas. He was the reason the decoy base in Russia had been discovered, and he had warred with his guilt when Sagara almost died. Now he was faced with the choice again. It was so much more personal now though.

Betraying Mithril was one thing. He did not mind leaving behind the organization as a whole, he agreed with Leonard's goals more than with Mithril's. It was betraying Sagara that made things difficult, because of his promises. He could remember the innocent boy asking him where his mother was, if she had died. Now that child was having a child. Could he risk taking the unborn child's father away?

"What do you intend to do about it?"

Sagara had sighed and shook his head, looking almost defeated. "I don't know. That's the problem. If there is any intelligence on them Mithril won't tell me, of course. I've tried my own contacts, but if they know, they're not talking. I can't go out on a manhunt as much as I would love to in this situation. I have to stay close to Kaname, if I left her now for any reason, I don't believe she would come through in one piece. If I left, I can't say that I would either," he meant the last more literally, taking a sip of his coffee deep in thought. If he left, the dangers would be high, that much was painfully obvious.

Sagara had been made officially aware of the ARX-8 recently, and Kalinin wondered if he had plans to take the machine if he did find something. He would not be surprised, honestly, and would probably help Sagara if he had. One thing he had kept from Amalgam was the existence of the Fairy Feather and the new Arm Slave in general. He had not been made aware of it until after Sagara's near death, and his guilt had kept him from mentioning anything to the other side.

Kalinin nodded to him, finishing his coffee off with a small sigh. "I will see what I can find to help you, Sagara."

He looked relieved and nodded, setting his own empty cup down. "Thank you, Kalinin. I appreciate anything you can tell me."

After that, Sagara had excused himself and returned to his wife, though they weren't married then. He always tried to be back before she would wake up, and he usually succeeded. It was only five thirty in the morning, after all. They were early risers. Kalinin had spent some time working through everything, sorting through his divided loyalties.

* * *

Eventually, he had decided it was the oldest promise he should keep. He would protect Sagara and his family. The information on Amalgam's bases was anonymously handed over to the Intelligence Division, who confirmed the details, then it was handed down to Operations, and Kalinin had even helped in the attack plans. He had felt good about his decision.

When he had seen Sagara's daughter for the first time, he knew he had done the right thing by the young couple and the small baby. Watching that young girl growing up was a joy, and watching her father develop along with her was a treat he had never thought to know. Sagara was like a child to him, regardless of his refusal to allow Kalinin to adopt him a decade past. With his pregnant wife and unborn child taken from him, there was no possible way he could inflict such a pain on the young man that gave him a reason to live.

Gulping down the last of the contents of his cup, setting the empty mug onto his desk, he picked up the papers again. Nodding, he put them into an envelope and reached for the phone. It looked like he would be paying the young Sagara family a visit sooner than planned.

Sousuke deserved to know he had more family than just his wife and daughter.

**END.****

* * *

**

**AN:** Well, I finally finished. Phew. The last chapter came out shorter than I expected so I merged it with the epilogue I actually wrote months ago (though I had to do some editing to make it fit since I changed some things). Obviously, this is my set-up for the sequel, but I cannot say exactly when it is that will start. I need a break from this storyline, but I do promise I will come back to it.

Thank you to everyone that read this through, to everyone that reviewed, and the friends I've made. This is by and far the most satisfying thing I've ever written, and while it was hard to get the way I wanted in many parts, on the whole I am quite satisfied. I apologize for the delays in updating the past few months, I never wanted to have so much as a week between my posts, let alone entire months, but RL got the better of me. Things have calmed down for the most part, so hopefully it will not be too long before I am able to write more.

(As a note, I intend for the sequel to be T-rated, don't expect any citrus from it)


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